'Democracies can get things done': Quad 'friends' meet at White House

The first-ever in-person Quad leaders’ summit was held in the White House, on Friday wherein Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the cooperation of four nations -- India, Australia, Japan and the United States -- will ensure peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and in the entire world. 

Just before the beginning of the formal meeting, Prime Minister Modi, in his opening remarks, said that the Quad will work as a force for global good. 

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Prime Minister Modi further said that peace and prosperity will be ensured in the Indo-Pacific as well as the entire world due to the cooperation of Quad members. 

The Prime Minister said that the Covid-19 vaccine initiatives adopted by the Quad member States will help countries in the region. 

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Stating that Quad had decided to go ahead with a positive approach on the basis of the shared democratic values of the member states, Prime Minister Modi said he would be happy to deliberate on subjects ranging from supply chain to global security, climate action to Covid response and technological cooperation with his "friends".

Recalling the last time the four countries come together for the first time in the aftermath of the 2004 Tsunami to help the Indo-Pacific region, PM Modi said that the same group of countries had come together once again when the world is fighting against the Covid-19 pandemic.

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During the meeting, the four leaders discussed the vaccine supply chain, China's growing military assertiveness in the Indo-Pacific region, the Afghanistan crisis, cross border terrorism, radicalisation, climate change among others. 

PM Modi's Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison, in his opening remarks, asserted that his country believed in a free and open Indo-Pacific as it can deliver a strong and prosperous region.

Reiterating that there is no part of the world that is more dynamic than Indo-Pacific at this moment, Morrison said that the Quad grouping was an endeavour to demonstrate how democracies can get things done.

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