Stating that the Quad grouping is here to stay, grow and to contribute, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Saturday that it stands as a statement that in this day and age, “others cannot have a veto on our choices.” He said the grouping — comprising India, Australia, Japan, and the United States — is facilitated by the emergence of the Indo-Pacific region, and is propelled by a change in the global order that requires more, not less, collaboration among like-minded countries.
“The post-1945 division of what till then was perceived to be a cohesive theatre resulted in a contemplating of the Indian Ocean and the Pacific as two separate entities. This separation was an outcome of American strategic priorities in 1945. Ironically, it is America’s repositioning today that is helping to rectify it,” Mr. Jaishankar said, addressing the inaugural Quad Think Tank Forum which coincided with the Raisina Dialogue which concluded on Friday. Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell addressed the forum virtually.
