Quad Meeting of External Affairs Ministers

The Quad Meeting of External Affairs Ministers of the 4 member countries ie. India, Japan, Australia, USA was recently concluded in Tokyo, Japan

Key Highlights of the Quad Meeting of External Affairs Ministers

• Extension of IPMDA: The Joint Statement announced its intention to expand the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) into the Indian Ocean Region through the Indian Navy’s Information Fusion Centre in Gurugram.
• The Ministers also called for immediate cessation of violence in Ukraine, Gaza, and Myanmar.
  • Gaza: The Joint Statement expressed QUAD’s great interest  in “ensuring peace and stability in the Middle East” and welcome UNSC Resolution S/RES/2735 (2024), and calls for immediate release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire
  • Ukraine: The Statement expressed “deepest concern” for the ongoing war in Ukraine and underscored the principles of “sovereignty and territorial integrity” for Ukraine
  • Myanmar: The Quad called for the immediate cessation of violence; the release of all those unjustly detained, safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance as it remains deeply concerned by the worsening political, security and humanitarian situation in Myanmar
• Rules Based Order in the Sea: The Statement called for maintaining and upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of sea, and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law.
  • To launch a Maritime Legal Dialogue under the maritime security working group to focus expertise on international law of the sea issues to uphold the rules-based maritime order in the Indo-Pacific
• Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) Operations: Discussions led to finalization of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) between the navies of the four countries and the maritime domain awareness initiative now links several information fusion centres.
• AI- Engage Programme: A memorandum of cooperation will be signed at the next Quad leaders’ meeting for joint research to advance innovation in agriculture by harnessing  digital and emerging technologies to improve food security and  increase yield and resistance.
• To Roll out Open RAN (open radio access network) telecommunications in the Pacific Ocean archipelago of Palau: It is aimed at countering Chinese telecom companies by developing trusted and secure networks and promoting supplier diversification
  • Other Projects: A space-based climate warning system will be launched soon in Mauritius. Off-grid solar projects are ongoing in the Indo-Pacific islands.

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The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD)

• The Quad is a diplomatic and Informal partnership between Australia, India, Japan, and the United States committed to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient.
• Origins: It dates back to the collaboration between the 4 countries in response to the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. In 2017, the focus shifted to the Indo-Pacific region to counter China’s growing assertiveness there. Over the years, the Quad has formed multiple working groups. 
  • Quad partners engage regularly through Leaders, Foreign Ministers, Quad Sherpas, senior officials, and experts. 
• The Objective: It is to secure a rules-based global order, freedom of navigation and a liberal trading system. The coalition also aims to offer alternative debt financing for nations in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Areas of collaboration: The OUAD’s agenda includes health security, climate change, infrastructure, critical and emerging technology, cyber security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, space, maritime security, countering disinformation, and counter-terrorism.
• Significance: 
  • To Secure Sea Routes of Communication: QUAD has emerged as a new strategy to keep the critical sea routes in the resource-rich Indo-Pacific, free of any influence, amidst China’s growing military presence in the strategic region.
  • Contain China: QUAD can strategically counter China’s economic and military coercion as India can take the support of the other Quad nations in the event of Chinese belligerence on its border or  naval front and can also conduct strategic explorations in the Indo-Pacific region.
  • Multilateral engagement: India recently has adopted the strategy of Multi- Alignment from Non-Alignment presenting an opportunity to work multilaterally on all kinds of initiatives that can help create, a free and open Indo Pacific region.
  • Make a presence in Indo- Pacific: India through engagement with QUAD countries can make inroads in the political landscape of the Indo- Pacific area expanding its Trade prospects, security role, overall global standing.
• Challenges: 
  • India’s Suitability and Reliability as a QUAD Partner: India’s commitment to double down on its ties with Russia, coupled with the potential impact of Japan’s new security bill on India–Japan relations is raising concerns on India’s suitability in the grouping.
  • Missing Collective Progress: QUAD lacks effective implementation mechanisms as it is an issue-specific partnerships with shared interests and security concerns, but sometimes  the national interests and priorities of individual countries takes precedence over the QUAD’s vision resulting in poor execution efforts.
    • Example: India- Russia Relations
  • Maintaining Strategic Autonomy: India, unlike Japan and Australia, is not an ally of the US and emphasises its strategic autonomy often by taking a different stand on important issues from the other QUAD members making it an Outlier
  • Stand on Geopolitical Issues: Differences in policy approaches to geopolitical questions like the Ukraine–Russia war, has affected India’s  bilateral security cooperation wih the QUAD members.
    • Example: India refused to land transport planes of the Japan Self Defence Force to carry UN stocks to support Ukraine.
  • India’s different Operational Priorities and Strategic Focus: While the Primary  focus of the US and its allies is East Asia and Western Pacific centric, India’s challenges lies in South Asia and the Indian Ocean where it is left to deal with the multi-domain China and Pakistan challenge on its own, with some support from the US and other Quad partners.
• Way Forward:
  • Formalise the Governing Structure: The QUAD should establish a governing body consisting of a rotating chair and secretariat, bounded by some legal framework to guide the implementation process and hold member nations accountable for progress while keeping the ad hoc and flexible nature of QUAD as it is.
  • Narrow down the Expansion: The scale and scope of projects being undertaken should be focused to allow countries to prioritise their most important issue while scoping out the feasibility and funds for the solution.
  • Improve Credibility: It can be done through  adopting strict information-sharing protocols, including adopting standardised formats for exchanging information allowing  all member nations, including India, to contribute more effectively.

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