Quad Meeting at UNGA Sidelines - Australia-India Undersea Cables Collaboration - US-India Defence Collaboration
Quad Foreign Ministers Meet on the Sidelines of UNGA
On September 22, the Quad Foreign Ministers met on the sidelines of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa met to take stock of the Quad’s initiatives and progress since the last foreign ministerial meet on March 3rd at New Delhi. They discussed emerging global issues and challenges and the need to support the principles of freedom, the rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and peaceful settlement of disputes and oppose unilateral attempts to change the status quo.
S. Jaishankar said:
Had a warm discussion with Quad colleagues to start my UNGA 78 participation. Welcomed Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa. We discussed defending the rules-based international order in the Indo-Pacific and delivering on Quad commitment. We always value our collective contribution to doing global good
Antony Blinken said:
It was good to join my fellow Quad foreign ministers from India, Australia and Japan on the sidelines of UNGA. The Quad is vital to our shared vision for a free and open Indo Pacific and together we reaffirmed our commitment to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter
A 14-point joint Readout of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was issued after the meeting that includes support for full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, Quad cybersecurity initiatives, Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness and Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience.
The Quad Foreign Ministers meeting happened at a time of a number of geopolitical challenges and figured in the meeting. Be the Chinese unilateral attempts to change the status quo in the East China Sea and the South China Sea, China’s disdain for international law, Ukraine war, North Korea destabilizing the region by launching ballistic missiles in violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), the Black Sea grain initiative, the Myanmar crisis and the scourge of terrorism. They reaffirmed their support for the rule of law and to deepen Quad cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Australia and India to collaborate on undersea cables
On the sidelines of the 78th UNGA, Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong. During their meeting, they discussed a number of bilateral issues, including regional security and deepening economic engagement. Also, during the meeting, they discussed collaborating to lay down undersea cables as a priority for developing regional infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific region. Colin Wall Associate Fellow at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies observed:
Sometimes described as the ‘world’s information super-highways’, undersea cables carry over 95% of international data. In comparison with satellites, subsea cables provide high-capacity, cost-effective and reliable connections that are critical for our daily lives. There are approximately more than 400 active cables worldwide covering 1.3 million km (half a million miles)
At the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad Leaders announced the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience. The need for an Indo-Pacific Cable is vital for connectivity and bridging the digital divide. It will usher in new opportunities for growth, development and innovation in the Indo-Pacific region.
India Army and the U.S. Army host Indo- Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference (IPACC)
The Indian and U.S. armies held a two-day conference of Army Chiefs of the Indo-Pacific nations on September 26th and 27th in New Delhi. Fifteen Army Chiefs and delegates from 35 countries attended the conferences. The central theme was “Together for Peace: Sustaining Peace and Stability in the Indo-Pacific Region.” The conference provided the senior military leadership of the region to deliberate on the role of military diplomacy in the backdrop of growing security challenges in the region and enhance collaboration and interoperability among the armed forces of the region in mitigating various challenges.
Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said:
The Indo-Pacific region has emerged as a pivotal geopolitical and strategic concept in the recent years, transforming from a primarily maritime concept into a comprehensive strategic framework. The region faces a complex web of security challenges, including boundary disputes, piracy etc. The need to comprehensively deal with these security challenges has led to the full involvement of the states in the region, with all their organisations, including their Armies
The U.S. Chief of Staff General Randy George said:
We are here at IPACC to talk about the role of land power. It not only contributes to our shared security; land power is decisive. Our land power network, the network that General Manoj Pande and I and all of our fellow chiefs are building here at IPACC is security architecture that binds the region together and leads to unity and collected commitment across the region. And that unity and commitment are the best deterrence
The conference jointly organised by India and the US of the army chiefs of the Indo-Pacific region centred around the Quad commitments to regional peace, stability, and prosperity, as well as upholding international law, including the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the rules-based international order. The conference also discussed emerging regional security challenges and the need for cooperation between the armed forces.
India, US military forces to participate in the annual ‘Yudh Abhyas 23' in Alaska
Indian army and U.S. army will participate in the 19th Edition of Exercise Yudh Abhyas. It is a two-week military exercise from September 25th to October 8th at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, US. The two-week war game will feature a number of complex military manoeuvres.
Indian army contingent comprising 350 personnel will be from Maratha Light Infantry and 1- 24 Infantry Battalion of 1st Brigade Combat Team of the U.S. Army. Both armies will practice a series of tactical drills to enhance interoperability in conducting UN peacekeeping operations. The theme of the Exercise is ‘Employment of an Integrated Battle Group in Mountain/ Extreme Climatic Conditions’ under Chapter VII of the United Nations mandate.
The official handle of the Indian Army posted on X (formerly Twitter)
Indian Army contingent will be participating in 19th Edition of joint military Exercise Yudh Abhyas at Fort Wainwright, Alaska, USA. The Exercise will entail exchanging best practices and enhancing interoperability to mutually learn from each other & strengthen the bond between the two Armies
The annual exercise makes a significant milestone in the growing collaboration between the Indian and the US Army. The focus of this year's joint exercise will be on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) operations. Armies from both nations will exercise to enhance interoperability in conducting UN peacekeeping operations and coordinated relief efforts in the wake of any natural calamity. This exercise will uphold Quad’s commitment to responding to climate-related and humanitarian events.
Curator: Bharat Sharma
Contributor: Kingshuk Saha