Modi participates in virtual summit of Quad leaders

New Delhi, March 3, 2022

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in a virtual summit of Quad leaders at which the developments in Ukraine, after Russia invaded the country last week, were discussed.

The meeting was attended by US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

"Developments in Ukraine were discussed in the meeting, including its humanitarian implications," a press release from the Prime Minister's Office said.

Modi emphasised the need to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy, the release said.

The meeting reviewed the progress on Quad initiatives since the September 2021 Quad Summit. The leaders agreed on accelerating cooperation, with an objective to achieve concrete outcomes by the summit in Japan later this year.

Modi underlined that the Quad must remain focused on its core objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. He called for concrete and practical forms of cooperation within the Quad, in areas like Humanitarian and Disaster Relief, debt sustainability, supply chains, clean energy, connectivity, and capacity-building.

The leaders also discussed other topical issues, including the situation in Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean region and the Pacific Islands.

Prime Minister reiterated the importance of adhering to the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity.

The leaders agreed to stay in touch and to work towards an ambitious agenda for the forthcoming Leaders’ Summit in Japan.

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