External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Saturday highlighted the Quad’s transformation into a “significant and substantive platform” for major Indo-Pacific democracies during his address at the Raisina Dialogue.
The foreign minister underscored the Quad’s role in promoting an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific and its dynamic characteristics. He acknowledged the Quad’s emergence as a response to global necessities, noting its maturation with creative, flexible, and nimble attributes over the past five years.
Jaishankar described the Quad, comprising India, Japan, Australia, and the United States, as a testament to a multi-polar order, post-alliance, and post-Cold War thinking, resisting spheres of influence, democratizing the global space, and advocating a collaborative approach.
The External Affairs minister outlined the Quad’s five key messages: reflecting a multi-polar order, adopting post-alliance and post-Cold War thinking, opposing spheres of influence, democratizing the global space, and embracing a collaborative rather than unilateral approach. He emphasized the importance of acknowledging that others cannot have a veto on the choices of these democratic nations.
Jaishankar addressed the question of why the Indo-Pacific, explaining that the division of the Indian Ocean and Pacific post-1945 was influenced by American strategic priorities. He attributed the Quad’s rapid growth to the distinct behavior of all four governments, characterizing it as a “creative, responsive, and open-minded enterprise.”
Mentioning the Quad’s achievements, Jaishankar noted its focus on addressing regional needs such as maritime security, infrastructure, connectivity, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR), critical technologies, and climate action. He highlighted the Quad’s progress in areas like digital public infrastructure deployment, cybersecurity, and infrastructure fellowships.
The Quad is actively working on building resilient supply chains in critical technologies, including telecom, cybersecurity, semiconductors, and AI. An Open RAN pilot in Palau is part of these efforts, with over 1800 ‘Infrastructure Fellowships’ collectively announced by Quad countries to enhance understanding among policymakers and technical experts about Indo-Pacific infrastructure projects.
Jaishankar emphasized the Quad’s commitment to delivering public goods in the Indo-Pacific through discussions on deploying digital public infrastructure. In just half a decade, the Quad has matured into a mechanism significantly contributing to the region’s stability and prosperity, according to the External Affairs Minister.
The Raisina Dialogue, India’s flagship conference on geopolitics and geoeconomics, focuses on addressing challenging global issues, reflecting the Quad’s commitment to fostering stability and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
(With agency inputs)