Quad countries review progress made after 2023 summit

New Delhi. Senior officials of the Quad member countries have reviewed the progress made by various Quad working groups in achieving the commitments made at the group’s summit in May 2023. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the member countries conducted this review through video conference on June 3. According to the ministry, senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs of India, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and the Department of State of the United States of America participated in the meeting.
They also discussed new ideas to advance the group’s cooperation for public good in the Indo-Pacific region in areas such as health security, digital public infrastructure, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), climate resilience, enhancing maritime domain awareness, counter-terrorism and enhancing telecommunications resilience through undersea cable connectivity, the Ministry of External Affairs said.
The meeting was led by K. Nagaraj Naidu, Joint Secretary (Americas) from the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Ellie Lawson, Deputy Secretary (Strategic Planning and Coordination Group) from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade of Australia, Fujimoto Kentaro, Ambassador-in-Charge of Quad Cooperation/Deputy Director General of the Foreign Policy Bureau from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan and Daniel Kritenbrink, Assistant Secretary (East Asian and Pacific Affairs) and Donald Lu, Assistant Secretary (South and Central Asian Affairs) from the US Department of State.
The meeting also provided an opportunity for the officials to exchange views on important regional and international issues of mutual interest. They underscored the Quad’s commitment to a free, open, inclusive and resilient Indo-Pacific and reaffirmed the centrality of regional institutions, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA).