Japan, US, Australia, India FMs reaffirm commitment for free, open Indo-Pacific

Foreign ministers from Japan, the US, Australia and India reaffirmed on Monday their steadfast commitment to realize a "free and open Indo-Pacific," while expressing serious concern about the situation in the East and South China Seas. This came in a joint statement released after the talks of four countries, known as the Quad, among them Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. The four ministers emphasized the importance of adherence to international law for the rules-based maritime order, including the East and South China Seas, and reaffirmed their strong opposition to unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion. "We also express our serious concern about the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, the increasing use of various kinds of dangerous maneuvers, and efforts to disrupt other countries' offshore resource exploitatio n activities," they said in the statement. The Quad ministers also condemned North Korea's destabilizing launches using ballistic missile technology in violation of UN Security Council resolutions and reaffirmed their commitment to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula and preventing any nuclear and missile technologies related to North Korea in the region and beyond. As for the situation in the Middle East, the ministers strongly urged all parties concerned to work immediately and steadily toward the release of all hostages held by Hamas and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. They also encouraged other countries, including those in the Indo-Pacific, to increase their efforts to address the dire humanitarian need on the ground. In addition, the ministers affirmed their commitment and further promotion of concrete efforts, including the areas of maritime security, Women, Peace and Security, critical and emerging technologies, cybersecurity and counter-terrorism. Kamikawa said at the outset of the meeting that since the existing international order is facing challenges, the cooperation of the four countries, who share values such as freedom and democracy, to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific based on the rule of law, is becoming important. Source: Kuwait News Agency