Quad calls for respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity of countries

TOKYO, July 29: In a loud and clear message to China, the Quad on Monday reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and resolved to work towards a region where no country dominates others and each state is free from “coercion” in all its forms.
The grouping comprising India, the US, Japan and Australia, after a meeting of their foreign ministers, announced a plan to expand its ambitious Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) programme to the Indian Ocean region that would facilitate monitoring the strategic waters.
The Quad also said that it was working for early operationalisation of its South Asia programme through India’s Information Fusion Centre for the Indian Ocean Region.
The Quad foreign ministerial meeting also called for upholding the free and open rules-based global order and respecting the principle of freedom, human rights, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity of nations.
Without directly naming China, the ministers expressed serious concern over the situation in the East and South China Seas and reiterated the Quad’s strong opposition to any “unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.”
The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
“All countries have a role in contributing to regional peace, stability, and prosperity, while seeking a region in which no country dominates and no country is dominated, competition is managed responsibly, and each country is free from coercion in all its forms and can exercise its agency to determine its own future,” the ministers said in a joint statement.
It said the Quad continues to advance the development of a “trusted, secure and robust” telecommunication network, and announced a plan to roll out Open Radio Access Networks in island nation Palau.
The foreign ministers also expressed “deepest concern over the war raging in Ukraine including its terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences.” “We reiterate the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” they said.
They also referred to increasing Chinese manoeuvres in the South China Sea, especially the “dangerous use” of coast guard and maritime militia vessels. “We continue to express our concern about the militarisation of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating manoeuvres in the South China Sea, ” they said.
“We also express our serious concern about the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, the increasing use of various kinds of dangerous manoeuvres, and efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities,” it said.
The ministers emphasised the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, to address challenges to the global maritime rules-based order, including in the South and East China Seas.
They said the Quad is fully committed towards a free, open and prosperous Indo-Pacific. “We reaffirm the Quad’s steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, which is inclusive and resilient, and are united in our commitment to upholding the free and open rules-based international order, with its strong support for the principle of freedom, human rights, the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes,” they said. (PTI)