Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated on Thursday at a virtual summit of Quad leaders, along with US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, according to the Prime Minister’s Office. The meeting was a sudden development amid the crisis in Ukraine, which too was discussed, apart from the Indo-Pacific.
Post the meeting the Prime Minister tweeted, “Participated in a productive virtual Quad Leaders’ meeting today with @POTUS @JoeBiden, PM @ScottMorrisonMP and @JPN_PMO Kishida. Reaffirmed our shared commitment to ensuring security, safety and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.”
The meeting was held amid Russia’s military action in Ukraine. A PMO statement said that the leaders discussed other topical issues as well, including the situation in Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean Region and the Pacific Islands.
The readout from the PMO said, “Developments in the Ukraine were discussed in the meeting, including its humanitarian implications”. The PM “emphasised the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy” and reiterated the importance “of adhering to the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity”. The Prime Minister underlined that the Quad must remain focused on its core objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
He called for concrete and practical forms of cooperation within the Quad, in areas like humanitarian and disaster relief, debt sustainability, supply chains, clean energy, connectivity, and capacity-building.
The meeting reviewed the progress on Quad initiatives since the September 2021 Quad Summit. The leaders agreed on accelerating cooperation, with an objective to achieve concrete outcomes by the summit in Japan later this year. The leaders agreed to stay in touch and to work towards an ambitious agenda for the forthcoming Leaders’ Summit in Japan’s Tokyo.
On Ukraine, the readout from the White House stated, “The Quad leaders discussed the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications. They agreed to stand up a new humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanism which will enable the Quad to meet future humanitarian challenges in the Indo-Pacific and provide a channel for communication as they each address and respond to the crisis in Ukraine.” On the Quad, the readout said, the leaders “reaffirmed their dedication to the Quad as a mechanism to promote regional stability and prosperity”.
CONGRESS SUPPORTS GOVERNMENT
Also on Thursday, a report said that Congress leaders have supported the Union Government’s stand of abstaining from voting in the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). This came after a Consultative Committee of Parliament on External Affairs held a meeting at the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi. External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar briefed the committee of Parliament meeting amid the ongoing Russian military operations in Ukraine. He gave a presentation about the evacuation process and the current situation.
“Congress leaders supported the government’s stand of abstaining from voting in UNGA,” sources said. Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, who was also present in the meeting expressed gratitude to EAM Jaishankar over “comprehensive briefing” and “candid responses.” Post the meeting, speaking to media persons, Tharoor said, “(We had) many points. MEA will talk. It was a good meeting. We are all united.” “Excellent meeting of the Consultative Committee on External Affairs this morning on #Ukraine. My thanks to @DrSJaishankar & his colleagues for a comprehensive briefing & candid responses to our questions &concerns. This is the spirit in which foreign policy should be run,” he tweeted. In a series of tweets, he said that the meeting took place in a “constructive spirit”. “I have declined media requests for comments since the meeting is confidential. However, we urged MEA to issue a more detailed statement than usual. The meeting took place in a constructive spirit and all parties are united in their desire to see our nationals return safely home,” he said.
“Nine MPs attended from six political parties. @INCIndia MPs present were @RahulGandhi, @AnandSharmaINC & myself. Frank discussions took place in an amicable atmosphere, a reminder that when it comes to national interests we are all Indians first and foremost,” Tharoor added.
After the meeting, Jaishankar said that there was a “good discussion on the strategic and humanitarian aspects of the issue”. “Just completed a MEA consultative committee meeting on developments in Ukraine. A good discussion on the strategic and humanitarian aspects of the issue. Strong and unanimous message of support for efforts to bring back all Indians from Ukraine,” he tweeted. “A national consensus on the importance of dialogue and diplomacy. Thank all members for their participation,” he added.
Meanwhile, India at the 49th UN Human Rights Council Session said, “We urge immediate cessation of violence and an end to hostilities. No solution can ever arrive at the cost of human lives. Dialogue and Diplomacy are the only solutions for settling differences and disputes.” “We are deeply concerned over the safety & security of thousands of Indians stranded in Ukraine. We’re working together with neighbouring States for their evacuation. We call for respect & protection of human rights of people in Ukraine,” the Indian statement said at the 49th UN Human Rights Council Sessio