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THREE weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi called on Russian President Vladimir Putin in Moscow, India joined the United States, Australia and Japan in Quadruple clustering On Monday, Russia expressed its “deepest concern” over the “war raging in Ukraine” and stressed “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” in a clear reference to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
At a meeting in Tokyo between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, the Quad reaffirmed its “firm commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, pledging to work towards a region where no country dominates another and every state is free from coercion in all its forms.” This was a veiled reference to China’s aggressive behaviour in the region.
Speaking after the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting, Jaishankar said: “The overall message is that our four countries – all democratic political systems, pluralistic societies and market economies – are working together for a free and open Indo-Pacific, for a rules-based order and for the global good. That alone is a powerful stabilising factor in an uncertain and volatile world.”
The reference to “democracies” is important, as the US administration under President Joe Biden has sought to frame the debate vis-a-vis China and Russia as a competition between “autocracies” and “democracies.”
Modi visited Russia and embraced Putin during his visit on July 8-9, where he also made it clear, publicly and with Putin at his side, that solutions cannot be found on the battlefield and expressed concern over the deaths of children in a Russian attack on a hospital in kyiv.
The Quad foreign ministers also said they expected India to host the next Quad Leaders’ Summit later this year and the United States to host the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in 2025. Biden was expected to travel to India earlier this year for the Quad leaders’ summit, but that did not happen due to scheduling issues.
Regarding the war between Russia and Ukraine, the joint statement of the Quad foreign ministers said: “We express our deepest concern about the ongoing war in Ukraine, including its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences. We reiterate the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in line with international law and the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.”
It is significant that this formulation of “respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity” is not used by India in its national statements on the war between Russia and Ukraine.
“We also take note of the negative impact of the war in Ukraine on global food and energy security, especially for developing and least developed countries. In the context of this war, we share the view that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is unacceptable. We underline the importance of upholding international law and, in accordance with the UN Charter, we reiterate that all States must refrain from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity and sovereignty or political independence of any State,” it said.
The rift in Russia and the glue in China
Divergences between India and the remaining Quad members (the US, Japan and Australia) over Russia and bilateral differences over the plot to assassinate Pannun have cast a shadow over the group. With Beijing as the main challenge, the Quad is trying to paper over differences and champion cooperation.
On China’s aggressive behaviour, the joint statement said: “We reaffirm the Quad’s firm commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient, and are united in our commitment to uphold the free and open rules-based international order, with its firm support for the principle of freedom, human rights, the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the peaceful resolution of disputes and the prohibition of the threat or use of force in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations.”
“All countries have a role to play in contributing to regional peace, stability and prosperity, while seeking a region where no country dominates or is dominated, competition is managed responsibly, and each country is free from coercion in all its forms and can exercise its agency in determining its own future,” he said.
Later, answering questions on the role of a third party in India’s border dispute with China, Jaishankar said the two neighbours have a problem and it is up to them to find a way out.
“We are not waiting for other countries to resolve what is actually an issue between India and China,” Jaishankar said while responding to a series of questions at a press conference in Tokyo.
“We have a problem, or I would say an issue between India and China… I think it is a matter of both of us talking about it and finding a solution,” he said.
“Obviously, other countries in the world might have an interest in the matter, because we are two big countries and the state of our relationship has an impact on the rest of the world. But we are not waiting for other countries to solve what is really a problem between us,” he said, recalling his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi twice this month.
Jaishankar and Wang met last week in the Lao capital Vientiane where they were participating in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meeting. At the meeting, they agreed on the need to provide a firm direction to complete the disengagement process following the military standoff in eastern Ladakh in May 2020.
Jaishankar also listed the outcomes of the Quad meeting including: the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness initiative linking information fusion centres; the Open-RAN (Radio Access Network) deployed in Palau; a space-based weather warning system to be launched in Mauritius and off-grid solar projects in the Indo-Pacific.
© The Indian Express Pvt Ltd
First uploaded on: 07-30-2024 at 03:58 IST
