Quad committed to supporting Pacific Island countries: Joint statement

NEW DELHI: In a move to counter China's increasing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, Quad members (Australia, India, Japan and the US) on Friday committed to supporting Pacific Island countries.

"We are committed to supporting Pacific Island countries in line with the objectives of the Pacific Islands Forum's 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent, guided by Pacific priorities of climate change, resilient infrastructure and maritime security," read Quad leaders’ joint statement.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong today attended the Quad Foreign Ministers Meet, in Delhi on the side-lines of Raisina Dialogue, 2023.

"We support regional institutions in the Pacific and are also further strengthening our cooperation with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), to address the region's most pressing and important challenges. We welcome India's leadership in finalising the IORA Outlook on the Indo-Pacific," added the statement.

In recent times there has been a shifting of goal posts by major world powers from other areas of conflict to the Indian and Pacific Ocean. This has largely been due to Chinese belligerence in the South China Sea by hegemonizing its intention over the entire seawater defying the laid down UN conventions and international maritime laws.

Recognising that peace and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific, the Quad grouping of countries comprising of US, Japan, Australia and India issued a joint statement opposing any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the area. It also reaffirmed the Quad's steadfast commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient. "Our meeting today reaffirms the Quad's steadfast commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient.

"Our meeting today reaffirms the Quad's steadfast commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient. We strongly support the principles of freedom, rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force and freedom of navigation and overflight, and oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, all of which are essential to the peace, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," read the statement. The present geo-political situation in the Indo-Pacific is fraught with major irritants destabilising the region.

There is a need to establish common standards to form the basis of deeper integration in the future and to ensure equal access to global commons for all the countries as a right under international law. The quad members also recognized that peace and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific, and reiterated the importance of respect for sovereignty, consistent with international law.

"We reiterate the importance of adherence to international law, as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the South and East China Seas," added the statement. They also strongly opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the area.

"We express serious concern at the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of coast guard vessels and maritime militia, and efforts to disrupt other countries' offshore resource exploitation activities," added the statement. " We reiterate our conviction that the Quad, acting as a force for regional and global good, will be guided by the priorities of the Indo-Pacific region through its positive and constructive agenda," it added.

The quad members also reaffirmed consistent and unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity, and the ASEAN-led architecture- including the East Asia Summit and ASEAN Regional Forum. " We remain committed to supporting the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and will be guided in our work by ASEAN's principles and priorities," added the statement. They also welcomed Indonesia's 2023 ASEAN Chairmanship and vowed to support its Chair theme " ASEAN Matters: Epicentrum of Growth."

"We identify tangible areas for the Quad to support the work of ASEAN. In addition, we are committed to further strengthening our respective relationships with ASEAN, thus creating a platform for greater Quad collaboration in support of the AOIP," added the statement.

The Quad leaders also focussed on deepening engagement with regional partners, including through information-sharing, capacity-building and technical assistance, to strengthen maritime domain awareness; counter illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; enhance their capacity to protect and develop offshore resources, consistent with UNCLOS; ensure freedom of navigation and overflight; and promote the safety and security of sea lines of communication.

"We look forward to continuing these discussions at the Quad Maritime Security Working Group meeting hosted by the United States in Washington DC in March 2023. In this context, we welcome the progress made under the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA)," added the statement.