Quad Foreign Ministers meet: Quad foreign ministers denounce Russian threats of nuclear war

The top diplomats of Australia, India, Japan and the United States offered sharp but veiled criticism of China on Friday, even as they maintained their Indo-Pacific-focused bloc is not aimed at countering Beijing.

Meeting in New Delhi, the four barely mentioned China by name and insisted that the so-called Quad group is designed to boost their own national interests and improve those of others through enhanced cooperation in non-military areas.

Both the public comments and the statement had repeated references to the importance of democracy, rule of law, maritime security and the peaceful settlement of disputes, all of which Beijing regards with suspicion when coming from Quad members.

“We strongly support the principles of freedom, rule of law, sovereignty and territorial integrity, peaceful settlement of disputes without resorting to threat or use of force and freedom of navigation and overflight, and oppose any unilateral attempt to change the status quo, all of which are essential to the peace, stability and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region and beyond,” the ministers said in the statement.

(PTI)

The foreign ministers of Quad on Friday called for lasting peace in Ukraine and concurred without naming Russia that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is "inadmissible".

The issue figured at a meeting among External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, his Japanese counterpart Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australia's Penny Wong.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministers said they underscored the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law.

It is absurd to think that India is not a permanent member (of UNSC) but you can say that for other countries as well. The west has no option but to share the power. The question is how to make sense of diplomacy in this new world: Former UK PM Tony Blair

Foreign ministers of the Quad grouping on Friday condemned as "inadmissible" Russia's threat to use nuclear weapons in its ongoing conflict against Ukraine and underscored the need for "a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine."

"We continued to discuss our responses to the conflict in Ukraine and the immense human suffering it is causing, and concurred that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible," read a joint statement by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad, which groups the United States, Japan, Australia and India.

Japanese foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi on Friday sought to draw an analogy between legendary English rock band The Beatles with the Quad referring to the grouping of Japan, Australia, the US and India as more of a "soft Beatles" where "every member may release a solo album of their own"!

The idea promoted by our American friends of ASEAN plus Quad is openly aimed at ruining East Asia Summits. In other words, it means East Asia Summits minus China and Russia: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

We never engage in playing any country against any other country but this is, unfortunately, is being tried by some other outside players in the context of so called Indo- Pacific strategy, using Quad not for economic purpose but trying to militarise it: Russian Foreign Minister

We've excellent relations with China and India. The relations with India are characterized in offical documents signed by the two leaders as a “specially privileged strategic partnership”. I don't know whether any other country has the same status on paper offcially: Russian FM

They don’t remember when Serbia was bombed. Joe Biden (US President) being a senator at that time was bragging that I promoted this approach. When Iraq was ruined as a state, few years later Tony Blair said it was a mistake: Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov

Strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in South and East China seas: India

India on quad meeting: Underscored the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law, including the un charter.

Foreign ministers of the so-called Quad group denounced Russia's threat to use nuclear weapons in the Ukraine war as unacceptable, according to a statement issued after a meeting on Friday.

I thank Dr S Jaishankar for hosting us. It was a good opportunity for the Quad members to talk at the Raisina Dialogue: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, in Delhi

As long as China abides by the law and international norms under international institutions then this is not a conflicting issue: Japan Foreign Minister

New things which came out today, we agreed on a counter-terrorism working group & SoPs for the HADR initiative. All four nations supported to the reform of the UN: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar

We (Quad) are now engaged in working together to help countires to deal with humanitarian situations in natural disasters. We are working on things that are really critical. This is not a military group: US Secy of State Antony Blinken

The QUAD is working in 2023 because we have a leadership less burdened by the baggage: External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar

For us future is Indo-Pacific...We are rightly focussed on what is happening in Ukraine. If we allow Russia to do what it is doing in Ukraine then that's a message to the aggressors everywhere that they may be able to get away with it: US Secy of State Antony Blinken

India is a critical power, great power in the region there is no reshaping of the Indo Pacific without India. We've seen that India is a civilisational power that brings a different perspective to some of the challenges of these time: Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong

The meeting will be chaired by External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, and will see the participation of Foreign Ministers of Australia, Penny Wong and Japan's Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and the US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken.

Good to break bread with my Quad colleagues in Delhi today. Together, we recognize the Indo-Pacific region will shape the trajectory of the world in 21st century & are committed to safeguarding its peace, stability, and growing prosperity," tweets US Secy of State Antony Blinken