India, Japan, Australia committed to a free, open, inclusive Indo-Pacific region

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the prime ministers of Australia and Japan, two key members of the four-member alliance, here today, ahead of the first summit of the Quadrangular Framework (Quad) hosted by US President Joseph R. Biden. Expressed resolve to enhance cooperation to achieve the goal of an inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

Modi held his first diplomatic meeting with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison after meeting five top business representatives on the second day of his US visit. The Prime Minister’s Office tweeted after the nearly half-an-hour meeting that Mr. Modi held talks with Mr. Morrison on a range of topics aimed at deepening and strengthening the economic and people-to-people ties between India and Australia.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said the two leaders discussed how to enhance bilateral cooperation on COVID-19 pandemic, trade, defence, clean energy and other issues, besides all the recent regional and global developments. Later, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement that the two leaders expressed satisfaction at the ongoing talks on the bilateral Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement (SICA) and reiterated their intention to complete it by December 2021. The two Prime Ministers also resolved to continue close cooperation to achieve the goal of a free, open, inclusive, prosperous and rules-based Indian Pacific.

The second bilateral meeting of the Prime Minister was with US Vice President Kamala Harris. Shri Modi expressed his heartfelt gratitude to India for the help received by the US during the COVID pandemic and invited her to visit India. The two leaders discussed regional and global developments and recognized that India and the US are natural partners of common values and geopolitical interests. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, in the meeting, both sides discussed the issues of health, education, climate change. The Prime Minister briefed them about India’s National Hydrogen Mission and emphasized the importance of lifestyle changes to promote conservation of the environment. The two leaders stressed the need to harness talent for knowledge, innovation and education and discussed the possibility of cooperation in emerging technologies including space, information technology.

Mr Modi’s third meeting was with the Prime Minister of Japan Yoshihide Suga, his most close and trusted ally in the Indo-Pacific region. However, there have been three telephonic conversations between the two leaders. But their face-to-face bilateral meeting took place for the first time today. Mr. Suga extended a warm welcome to Mr. Modi.
The Indian delegation included External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, India’s Ambassador to the US Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Vani Rao, Joint Secretary (USA) in the Ministry of External Affairs.