From a common vision of free and open Indo-Pacific to COVID-19 response, here's what QUAD leaders discussed

The meeting at the White House took place for two hours and saw the participation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister of Australia Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

Prime Minister Modi was the first leader invited by host US President Joe Biden to address the gathering in the East Room of the White House. 

Opening the Summit, US President Joe Biden said that this group meeting of democratic partners share a world view and have a common vision for the future. He stated that when the Quad leaders had met six months ago, they had made concrete commitments to advance their shared and positive agenda for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

 

"Today, I’m proud to say that we’re making excellent progress," Biden said.

 

"Our vaccine initiative is on track to produce an additional 1 billion doses of vaccine in India to boost global supply. We’re taking action on climate change, with a new partnership toward zero-emissions shipping," Biden said.

 

The US President said that the Quad countries are four major democracies with a long history of cooperation. "We know how to get things done, and we are up to the challenge," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi recalled that the four countries came together for the first time in 2004 to extend support to the Indo-Pacific region post the tsunami.

 

He added, "Today, when the world is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic, we are meeting once again, as Quad, and working in the interest of humanity, based — our Quad vaccine initiative will greatly help countries in the Indo-Pacific region."

The Indian Prime Minister also stated that based on shared democratic values, Quad has decided to move forward with positive thinking and a positive approach.

 

"It gives me great pleasure to discuss with my friends wide-ranging topics from supply chains to global security, from climate action to COVID response, to cooperation in the field of technology," he added.

 

"I am — our Quad, in a sense, will play the role of a force for global good. I’m confident that our cooperation under Quad will ensure prosperity and peace in the Indo-Pacific and in the world," PM Modi said.

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga said that this event demonstrates the strong solidarity between the four nations and their unwavering commitment to the common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. 

 

"The Quad is an extremely significant initiative by four countries who share fundamental values, cooperating for the cause of realizing a free and open international order based on the rule of law in the Indo-Pacific," Suga said.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison expressed that India, USM Australia and Japan are liberal democracies that believe in a world order that favours freedom. He added that the Quad believes in a free and open Indo-Pacific because it knows that’s what delivers a strong, stable, and prosperous region.

 

"The Quad is about demonstrating how democracies such as ours can get things done that can deal with the big challenges that we face in a very complex and changing world. And there is no part of the world that is more dynamic than the Indo-Pacific at this time — a region that has an extraordinary opportunity, wide diversity, great wealth, but many challenges that must be overcome," he added.

 

He said that at least 670 million safe and effective doses of COVID-19 vaccines are already out there and that a billion is our goal. 

 

Morrison also said, "We’re working together on low-emissions technologies that will indeed change the world and take the world to a net-zero economy — a new energy economy. We’re working to make cyberspace and emerging and critical technologies trusted and secure in open societies, solving problems, and addressing the supply chain challenges that in many ways hold the keys to our security and our prosperity and our environment in the 21st century."