WORLD NEWS | Quartet commits to support Pacific island nations: joint statement

New Delhi [India]March 3 (ANI): To counter China’s growing assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, members of the quartet (Australia, India, Japan and the United States) on Friday pledged support for Pacific island nations.

“We are committed to supporting Pacific island nations in line with the goals of the Pacific Islands Forum’s 2050 Blue Pacific Continental Strategy, guided by Pacific priorities such as climate change, resilient infrastructure and maritime security,” read a joint statement by the quartet leaders.

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Foreign Minister Dr S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Masayoshi and Australian Foreign Minister Wong Eng-hyun attended a quadrilateral meeting of foreign ministers during the 2023 Raisina Dialogue in Delhi today.

“We support regional institutions in the Pacific and further strengthen our collaboration with the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) to address the region’s most pressing and important challenges. We welcome India’s leadership in finalizing IORA’s Indo-Pacific Outlook,” Supplementary statement.

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More recently, major world powers have shifted their focus from other conflict zones to the Indian and Pacific oceans. This is due in large part to China’s belligerent nature in the South China Sea, where it seeks to establish hegemony across the entire sea, in defiance of established United Nations conventions and international maritime law.

Recognizing that peace and security in the maritime domain are fundamental to the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region, the Group of Four, consisting of the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, issued a joint statement opposing any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or exacerbate tensions in the region intense situation.

It also reaffirmed the Quartet’s strong commitment to supporting a free, open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific region.

“Our meeting today reaffirms the Quartet’s strong commitment to supporting a free and open Indo-Pacific region that is inclusive and resilient. We strongly support freedom, the rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the peaceful resolution of disputes without resorting to threats principles or the use of force and freedom of navigation and overflight, and oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, all of which are critical to peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,” the statement read.

The current geopolitical situation in the Indo-Pacific region is full of major irritants that destabilize the region. There is a need to establish common standards to form the basis for deeper integration in the future and to ensure that all countries have equal access to the global commons, a right enshrined in international law.

The Quartet members also recognized that peace and security in the maritime domain are fundamental to the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region, and reaffirmed the importance of respecting sovereignty in accordance with international law.

“We reaffirm the importance of compliance with international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) to address challenges to a rules-based maritime order, including in the South and East China Seas,” the statement said.

They also strongly oppose any unilateral action that seeks to alter the status quo or escalate tensions in the region.

“We have serious concerns about the militarization of disputed features, the dangerous use of Coast Guard vessels and maritime militias, and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource extraction activities,” the statement added.

“We reaffirm our belief that the Quartet, as a force for regional and global interests, will be guided by Indo-Pacific priorities through its active and constructive agenda,” it added.

The Quartet members also reaffirmed their consistent and unwavering support for ASEAN centrality and unity, and ASEAN-led structures – including the East Asia Summit and the ASEAN Regional Forum.

“We remain committed to supporting the implementation of the ASEAN Indo-Pacific Outlook (AOIP) and will be guided by ASEAN principles and priorities,” the statement added.

They also welcomed Indonesia’s ASEAN chairmanship in 2023 and vowed to support its chairmanship theme, “ASEAN Affairs: A Hub for Growth”.

“We identified tangible areas where the Quad supports ASEAN’s work. In addition, we are committed to further strengthening our respective relationships with ASEAN, thereby creating a platform for enhanced cooperation among the Quad supporting AOIP,” the statement added.

The Quartet leaders also focused on deepening engagement with regional partners, including through information sharing, capacity building and technical assistance, to enhance understanding of the ocean domain; combat illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing; to enhance their ability to protect and develop offshore resources; to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight; and to promote the safety and security of sea lines of communication.

“We look forward to continuing these discussions at the U.S.-hosted meeting of the Quad Maritime Security Working Group in March 2023 in Washington, D.C. In this context, we welcome the progress made by the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Partnership (IPMDA),” the statement said added. (Arnie)

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