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What is the News?
The 3rd Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) meeting of the foreign ministers of India, Australia, Japan, and the USA held virtually. This is the third such meeting since 2019 when the Quad was upgraded to the ministerial level.
Focus of the meeting: The QUAD meeting focussed on issues such as countering disinformation, counter-terrorism, maritime security. It also set the priority of strengthening democratic resilience in the broader region.
Key highlights of the QUAD meeting:
- On Covid-19: The ministers discussed efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic including vaccination programs. They also agreed to cooperate on enhancing access to affordable vaccines, medicines, and medical equipment.
- On Myanmar: The Indian and the US statement reflected the difference in the approach to the military coup in Myanmar:
- The US asked for an urgent need to restore the democratically elected government in Myanmar. It also referred to Myanmar as Burma, the name it stopped using since the 1989 military coup in Myanmar.
- On the other hand, India adopted a more cautious approach. It emphasized on upholding of rule of law and the democratic transition.
About Quad Group
Read More – About Quad
- It is the strategic dialogue between four countries viz. India, United States, Japan, and Australia.
- Origin:
- The grouping traces its genesis to 2004, when the four countries came together to coordinate relief operations in the aftermath of the tsunami.
- However, the idea of Quad was initiated in 2007 by the Japanese Prime Minister. But it was dropped with the withdrawal of Australia. It was later revived in the year 2017.
- Objective: It is viewed as a group of four democracies. They have a shared objective to ensure and support a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region.
- The foundation of Quad is also based on collective effort and shared commitment to counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance, and disaster relief, maritime security cooperation, development finance, and cybersecurity.
Source: The Hindu
