PM Modi participates in virtual Quad summit, calls for dialogue, diplomacy on Ukraine crisis

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.

PM Modi 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. 

Developments in Ukraine were discussed in the meeting, including its humanitarian implications. 

PM Modi emphasised the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy.

He emphasizing India's stand of dialogue and diplomacy as the way out, during discussions with the leaders of the US, Australia and Japan.

The leaders also discussed other topical issues, including  the situation in Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean region and the Pacific Islands.

Modi also reiterated the importance of adhering to the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The leaders agreed to stay in touch and to work towards an ambitious agenda for the forthcoming Leaders’ Summit in Japan.

President Biden in a tweet said he met with his fellow Quad leaders “about Russia's ongoing attack on Ukraine and our commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity around the world, including in the Indo-Pacific.”

Japan's PM Kishida, in tweets, said the recent Russian aggression against Ukraine is unacceptable.

He said,”Unilateral changes to the status quo by force or coercion like the recent Russian aggression against Ukraine are also unacceptable in the Indo-Pacific region.”

“It is critically important for us to bring about a free and open Indo-Pacific. We agreed we will work in close cooperation to ensure the success of our next face-to-face Quad summit, which will be held in Tokyo in the coming months."

A White House readout of the meeting said, the four leaders convened “to reaffirm their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, in which the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all states is respected and countries are free from military, economic, and political coercion”.

The Quad leaders discussed the ongoing conflict and humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and assessed its broader implications, it said.

They agreed to stand up 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, the statement added.