'Quad' countries reaffirm free, inclusive Indo-Pacific region

The 'Quad' countries - India, Japan, Australia and the United States, have reaffirmed their support for a free, open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

As per a release from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), foreign ministry officials from India, Australia, Japan and the US met in Singapore on the margins of ASEAN-centred Senior Officials Meeting for consultations on issues of common interest in the Indo-Pacific region on Thursday.

The participants considered ways to pursue shared objectives in the areas of connectivity and development, regional security, including counter-terrorism and non-proliferation, high availability disaster recovery (HADR) and maritime cooperation.

The Indian side highlighted India's vision for the Indo-Pacific Region as outlined in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's keynote address at Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore last week. The officials also confirmed their common commitment, based on shared values and principles, to promote a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.

The participants reaffirmed their strong support for ASEAN centrality and ASEAN-led mechanisms in the regional architecture for the Indo-Pacific.

They agreed to partner with all countries and institutions in the region to promote the shared vision of a peaceful, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific, including through such plurilateral formats.