Quad Summit-2023 hosted by Japan
The hastily arranged Quad summit in Hiroshima, Japan on 20 May 2023 was a pragmatic step taken by the four leaders after the summit in Australia was canceled.
The summit was scheduled to be held on 24 May 20232 in Sydney, Australia. But US President Joe Biden postponed his trip to Australia because of debt ceiling talks in Washington.
At the same time, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said that India will be happy to host the US, Australia, and Japan in the Quad Summit next year. The summit of the year 2024 will be held in India.
Key Points -
1. The Quad also underlined its commitment to pursue designations by the 1267 Sanctions Committee of the United Nations Security Council, as appropriate. Also strongly condemned the acts of terrorism including the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai and Pathankot.
2. Emphasized the importance of observing international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).
3. The summit emphasized on PM Modi's statement that this is not an era of war.
4. The East and South China Seas were specifically mentioned and expressed its grave concern over the militarization in the disputed area, the dangerous use of Coast Guard and Marine Militia vessels, and attempts to disrupt offshore resource exploitation activities by other countries.
5. The Quad will remain aligned with ASEAN's principles and priorities and will continue to support the implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP).
6. The leaders noted that the Quad will continue to cooperate with Indo-Pacific partners to address the region's infrastructure priorities. For this, a new initiative 'Quad Infrastructure Fellowship Program' was also announced.
7. To take forward the “Quad Health Security Partnership” formed in March 2021 for COVID-19 vaccines.
