Quad leaders hold second in-person meeting in Tokyo, vow to stand together for free and open Indo-Pacific region

New Delhi: The Quad leaders on Tuesday (May 24, 2022) held their second in-person meeting in Tokyo and vowed to stand together for a "free and open" Indo-Pacific region. During the Quad Leaders' Summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, United States President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and new Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese also said that they will work on fighting climate change.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is on a two-day visit to Japan, said that the mutual trust and determination among the Quad member countries are encouraging a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific

He also said that Quad is moving ahead with a constructive agenda for the Indo-Pacific which will further strengthen its image as a "force for good".

In his opening remarks at the summit, Prime Minister Modi said the Quad has gained a significant place on the world stage in a short span of time.

"We have increased coordination in areas of vaccine delivery, climate action, supply chain resilience, disaster response, economic cooperation and adverse situations arising out of COVID-19 pandemic," he added.

My remarks at the Quad Leaders Meeting in Tokyo. https://t.co/WzN5lC8J4v — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) May 24, 2022

He said the cooperation among the Quad countries in various areas is contributing to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.

US President Joe Biden, at the opening of talks with the leaders of three "close democratic partners", condemned Russia's invasion of Ukraine as not just a European issue but a global one.

"This is more than just a European issue, it`s a global issue," Biden said of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.

Biden stressed that the United States would stand with its allies to push for a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

"Russia`s assault of Ukraine only heightens the importance of those goals of fundamental principles of international order, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. International law, human rights must always be defended regardless of where they`re violated in the world," the US President said.

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, echoed that, saying the same thing should not be allowed to happen in Asia. He said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine "shakes the foundation of international order" and was a direct challenge to the principles of the United Nations.

New Australian PM Anthony Albanese, making his international debut as prime minister, told the fellow Quad leaders that his priorities were aligned with theirs. He also pledged to invest more in the battle against climate change in a region in which South Pacific island nations face some of the most direct risks from rising seas.

"The region is looking to us to work with them and to lead by example," he said.

"That`s why my government will take ambitious action on climate change and increase our support to partners in the region as they work to address it, including with new finance," Albanese added.

The summit, notably, has taken place at a time when relations between the four Indo-Pacific leaders of the Quad and China have become tense in the last few years. 

(With agency inputs)