Syllabus – Prelims & Mains – INTERNATIONAL
Context: Recently, Prime Minister Modi participated in the sixth Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware during his three day visit to US.
Background: –
Emphasizing that the Quad leaders were convening amidst global tensions, Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed that the alliance is not directed against any nation. He highlighted that the Quad stands in support of a rules-based international order, upholds respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and advocates for the peaceful resolution of disputes.
Key takeaways
Modi’s remarks during the Quad summit at President Joe Biden’s hometown of Delaware were a thinly veiled reference to China and its aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region.
Wilmington Declaration
The Quad declaration, adopted after the summit, focused on “militarisation” and “intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea”. It also addressed other key global issues, including the conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza. The declaration highlighted the negative impacts of the war in Ukraine with regard to global food and energy security.
The declaration also condemned the ongoing attacks perpetrated by the Houthis and their supporters against international and commercial vessels transiting through the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, which are destabilising the region and impeding navigational rights and freedoms and trade, and jeopardise the safety of vessels and people.
The Quad leaders also announced the Quad Cancer Moonshot — a groundbreaking partnership that will focus initially on combating cervical cancer in the Indo-Pacific region while laying the groundwork to address other forms of cancer as well.
The Quad is more strategically aligned than ever before and is a force for good that delivers real, positive, and enduring impact for the Indo-Pacific, said the Wilmington Declaration issued after the summit.
The next Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting will be hosted by the US in 2025, and the Quad Leaders’ Summit will be hosted by India in 2025. In 2025, the Quad Regional Ports and Transportation Conference is also likely to be held in Mumbai.
The US Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard plan to launch a first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission in 2025, to improve interoperability and advance maritime safety.
A new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) was announced to enable partners in the region to “maximize tools provided through IPMDA (Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness ) and other Quad partner initiatives, to monitor and secure their waters, enforce their laws, and deter unlawful behaviour.” India will host the inaugural MAITRI workshop in 2025.
The launch of a Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project was also announced.
