Roving Periscope: Quad calls for peace in Ukraine, Gaza, and Myanmar
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: The Quadrilateral Dialogue (Quad) group of four democracies has called for an end to the ongoing violence in Ukraine, Gaza, and Myanmar and sought expansion of its maritime operation in the Indian Ocean, the media reported on Monday.
The group—comprising India, the US, Australia, and Japan—has also reaffirmed its commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, condemned Chinese ‘coercion’, and terrorism, and has called for international cooperation to tackle these issues.
These takeaways emerged from the four countries’ foreign ministers after they met in Tokyo on Monday, the reports said.
Addressing the meeting, India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar said the four countries are working as a “powerful stabilizing factor.”
“We continue to work with the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency to enhance regional maritime domain awareness in the Pacific through satellite data, training, and capacity building. In line with such efforts, we intend to geographically expand the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) in the Indian Ocean region,” they said in a joint statement after the meeting.
IPMDA is aimed at ensuring the safety and security of the critical sea lanes.
Besides Dr. Jaishankar, his counterparts Penny Wong (Australia), Anthony Blinken (the US), and Kamikawa Yoko (Japan), who was the host, also attended the meeting.
Dr. Jaishankar described the Quad as an action-oriented platform aiming at “practical outcomes” and said, “…our HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief) conversations are reflected in understandings and SOPs between our Navies.”
He also referred to the IPMDA initiative as a system linking the information fusion centers to enable real-time coordination to deal with maritime challenges. Indicating a global agenda of the Quad Club, the foreign ministers said they have “great interest” in “ensuring peace and stability in the Middle East”.
Their statement condemned the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israeli targets by Hamas but also said, “large-scale loss of civilian lives and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza is unacceptable.”
The foreign ministers said there is an “urgent need to significantly increase deliveries of life-saving humanitarian assistance throughout Gaza,” and highlighted “the crucial need to prevent regional escalation.”
”We urge all parties to comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, as applicable. We welcome UNSC Resolution S/RES/2735 (2024), and strongly urge all parties concerned to work immediately and steadily toward the release of all hostages and an immediate ceasefire,” they said.
They expressed “deepest concern” over the ongoing war in Ukraine since February 2022 when Russian forces invaded the country, underscored the importance of “sovereignty and territorial integrity” for Ukraine, and sought “a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.”
The meeting also took up the continuing violence in Myanmar which has pitted ethnic armed organizations against the ruling military junta in Nay Pyi Taw and said the situation is impacting the neighbors who are facing problems like cybercrime, human trafficking, and smuggling of narcotic items.
“We remain deeply concerned by the worsening political, security, and humanitarian situation in Myanmar, including in Rakhine. Ongoing conflict and instability have serious implications for regional peace and security. We again call for the immediate cessation of violence; the release of all those unjustly detained; safe and unhindered humanitarian assistance.”
