The leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, in veiled warning to China over any military adventure in Taiwan have warned that unilateral changes of status quo by force were unacceptable in the Indo-Pacific.
A hurriedly called virtual summit of Quad leaders overnight attended by US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio discussed the Ukraine crisis but failed to seek Indian condemnation for Russian attack on Ukraine.
Instead, Prime Minister Narendra Modi advised the Quad leaders that Quad “must remain focused on its core objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific”.
He reiterated his call for all countries to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy.
Developments in Ukraine were discussed in the meeting, including its humanitarian implications. The Prime Minister emphasised the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy,” the PMO statement said.
The unscheduled summit was convened by the US President where Quad leaders agreed to create a new humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanism that will enable 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”, according to a joint readout.
“Quad leaders reaffirmed 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”, read a joint statement issued on March 4.
They reaffirmed their dedication to the Quad as a mechanism to promote regional stability and prosperity.
Prime Minister Morrison told the Quad leaders that Russia’s actions are a gross violation of international law and the UN Charter.
“There is no justification for Russia’s aggression, which is illegal, unjustified and unprovoked”, he said in a statement after summit.
“We cannot allow what is happening in Ukraine now to ever happen in the Indo-Pacific. We are resolute in our commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific region where smaller states do not need to live in fear of more powerful ones”, Morrison said.
Japanese Prime Minister Kishida in his tweet warned against unilateral changes of status quo by force in the Indo-Pacific.
“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,” Kishida tweeted.
“I met with my fellow Quad leaders Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio about Russia’s ongoing attack on Ukraine and our commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity around the world, including in the Indo-Pacific”, President Biden said in a tweet.
