Washington DC [US], September 21: US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan on Saturday highlighted the key issues to be discussed during President Joe Biden’s meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sullivan indicated that one of the focus areas would be the ongoing Ukraine conflict and India’s stance on Russia and China.
Sullivan emphasized the US view that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine violates international law and norms. He stressed that countries like India should support sovereignty and territorial integrity, and refrain from supplying inputs to Russia’s war efforts
“I won’t go too deep into the details of what he will say on those issues which are obviously sensitive and will obviously be critical priorities in the bilateral meeting. I will just say that the United States has been clear about our view that Russia’s brutal war of aggression against Ukraine flouted every norm and principle of international law, that countries like India, India should step up and support the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and that every country everywhere should refrain from supplying inputs to Russia’s war machine for it to be able to continue to prosecute this brutal war. So they will talk about that. The President will also hear from Prime Minister Modi about his trip to Ukraine, which was an important and indeed historic trip, and it will be the opportunity for the two of them to talk about their respective views on the way forward.”
Further, Sullivan also affirmed that the two leaders will discuss China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific during their bilateral meeting.
“And then with respect to China, you know, they will talk about how they see China’s actions in the region where China is headed. And that’s not just true in the security domain, but in the economic and technology domain as well,” Sullivan said.
On being asked about QUAD and if China looks at it as if it focuses on them, US NSA Jake Sullivan said the focus will on a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“The leaders are going to talk about all of the significant developments and dynamics in the Indo-Pacific. But my point is that the purpose of the QUAD is not to come together around China or any other country. It’s to come together around how to construct a free and open Indo-Pacific and actions and policies that disrupt or undermine that are certainly not just of interest but are going to be a matter of discussion for QUAD members. These issues are on the agenda because they relate to a free and Open Indo-Pacific, but China is not the focus of the QUAD, and the QUAD is not about one country. It is about a larger vision that we’re all trying to work,” Sullivan said.
At the Quad Summit, the leaders will review the progress achieved by the Quad over the past year and set the agenda for the year ahead to assist the countries of the Indo-Pacific region in meeting their development goals and aspirations, the Ministry of External Affairs stated.
The first Quad Leaders’ Summit was held in virtual format in 2021. The second Quad Leaders’ Summit (first in-person) was held in Washington, DC, on September 24, 2021. The third Quad Leaders’ Summit was held virtually on March 3, 2022.
The fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit (second in-person) was hosted by Japan on May 24, 2022. The fifth Quad Leaders’ Summit (third in-person) was held in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 20, 2023.
