Quad Strengthens Strategic Alignment for Indo-Pacific Impact

The Quad's recent summit, hosted by President Joe Biden, highlighted the grouping's strategic alignment and commitment to peace, stability, and democratic values in the Indo-Pacific. The leaders announced initiatives in cancer combat, maritime security, and port infrastructure to enhance regional cooperation and development.

The four-member Quad is emerging as a more strategically aligned force for good, according to a joint declaration issued following a recent summit. Hosted by President Joe Biden, the event in Wilmington, Delaware, included Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan.

The Wilmington Declaration celebrated the Quad's development over four years, highlighting its crucial role in supporting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. As leading maritime democracies, the Quad nations emphasized their opposition to unilateral actions that threaten regional equilibrium, implicitly criticizing China's territorial claims and recent missile launches.

The leaders introduced several initiatives, including the Quad Cancer Moonshot to tackle cancer in the Indo-Pacific and the Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) for enhancing regional maritime security. They also announced a Quad Ports of the Future Partnership to improve port infrastructure and a Quad BioExplore Initiative for AI-driven biological research.

(With inputs from agencies.)