At Quad summit, PM Modi stresses on territorial integrity: ‘We are not against anybody’

“A free, open, inclusive and prosperous Indo-Pacific is our shared priority and shared commitment. We have together taken several positive and inclusive initiatives in areas such as health security, critical and emerging technologies, climate change and capacity building,” he said.

Biden said, “Today, I’ll welcome Prime Ministers Albanese, Modi, and Kishida to my home: Delaware. These leaders aren’t just essential to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific – they’re friends of mine and friends of our nation. I look forward to all we’ll accomplish in the Summit ahead.”

“Our message is clear: Quad is here to stay, to assist, to partner and to complement,” the Prime Minister said during a roundtable attended by US President Joe Biden, Japan PM Fumio Kishida and Australian PM Anthony Albanese.

Biden, who was hosting the leaders in his high school, Archer Academy, said, “We are democracies. We are democracies who know how to get things done. That’s why, within the first days of my presidency, I reached out to your nations to propose we elevate the Quad, making it more consequential. Four years later, our four countries are more strategically aligned than ever before. And today, we have announced initiatives that deliver real positive impact for the Indo-Pacific, which includes providing new maritime technologies to our regional partners so they know what’s happening in their waters, launching cooperation between Coast Guards for the first time, and expanding the Quad fellowship to include students from Southeast Asia.”

“While challenges will come, the world will change, but the Quad is here to stay,” the US President said.

Japan’s PM Kishida said, “The security environment surrounding ourselves is becoming increasingly severe, and the free and open international order based on the rule of law is under threat. Under this backdrop, it is ever more important for us, the Quad, who share values such as freedom and democracy, to continue to demonstrate our firm commitment to our common vision of FOIP, the free and open Indo-Pacific, to the international community. In order to realise a FOIP, it is crucial to coordinate with the regional countries, and to materialise our vision by concrete actions, I look forward to a fruitful discussion today so that we may listen to the voices of the regional countries, including ASEAN, South Asia and the Pacific Islands, and to further promote practical cooperation that will be a genuine benefit for the region.”

Earlier in the day, Biden welcomed the leaders at his home in Delaware. Saturday’s meeting was seen as Biden’s “farewell” Quad as US President. Biden had offered to host the Quad leaders’ summit — swapping with India which will now host in 2025.

Australian PM Albanese said, “Unlike some international forums, Quad doesn’t have a long history. That means it’s not defined by tradition. But it also means it’s not confined by it. It means that as it develops, it can evolve, and that is, I believe, what we represent in the region, the fastest growing region of the world in human history.”

“With that comes enormous opportunity, but also come some challenges… but the region as a whole, through the Quad, we leverage our significant resources and expertise to contribute in meaningful ways to dealing with challenges facing countries in the region, and we ensure that we assert the view that it is important that security and stability is something that we strive for, as well as shared prosperity in our region,” he said.

He said, “The Quad is about practical, meaningful outcomes in strategic areas ranging from clean energy… health security to critical and emerging technology, cyber resilience, infrastructure, maritime security and, of course, counter terrorism as well. We’ll always be better off when like-minded countries and our four great democracies work together. All of this, the promise in the region, does depend on continued peace and stability and the wise management of strategic competition and disputes,” he said.

“Partnerships like the Quad are crucial, providing us with an avenue to discuss shared vulnerabilities and goals and strengthening the enduring relationships necessary for lasting stability, which is why we commit today to continue to work with our Indo-Pacific neighbours, our friends and our partners,” the Australian PM said.

Earlier in the day, Biden welcomed the leaders at his home in Delaware. Saturday’s meeting was seen as Biden’s “farewell” Quad as US President. Biden had offered to host the Quad leaders’ summit — swapping with India which will now host in 2025.

The leaders were expected to discuss China’s assertive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific, the Russia-Ukraine war; and the rising tension in West Asia in the wake of the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Biden said, “Today, I’ll welcome Prime Ministers Albanese, Modi, and Kishida to my home: Delaware. These leaders aren’t just essential to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific – they’re friends of mine and friends of our nation. I look forward to all we’ll accomplish in the Summit ahead.”

After he landed at around 8 pm IST, Modi said, “Landed in Philadelphia. Today’s programme will be focused on the Quad Summit and the bilateral meeting with @POTUS @JoeBiden. I am sure the discussions throughout the day will contribute to making our planet better and addressing key global challenges.”

When Biden entered the White House, he looked to elevate the Quad, which until then had only met at the Foreign Minister-level, to a leader-level partnership. This summit is the fourth in-person and sixth overall gathering of the leaders since 2021.