First Quad leaders' meet today - focus on Indo-Pacific, COVID vaccines

With a focus on practical cooperation in the Indo-Pacific and COVID vaccine supplies, the first-ever Quad summit at the leadership summit will take place on Friday (March 12). The summit will take place virtually at 7 pm IST, with Indian PM Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Australian PM Scott Morrison, and Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga joining in.

India's ministry of external affairs in its statement on Quad meet said, that the "Summit will provide an opportunity to exchange views on contemporary challenges such as resilient supply chains, emerging and critical technologies, maritime security, and climate change. "

On the COVID vaccines, the Indian statement said, the "leaders will discuss ongoing efforts to combat COVID-19 pandemic and explore opportunities for collaboration in ensuring safe, equitable and affordable vaccines in the Indo-Pacific region."

Quad first came into existence after the 2004 tsunami and was first formalized in 2007. At that time Australia had issues, with the grouping again meeting a decade later in 2017 at the official level. Since 2019, Quad has had conversations at the foreign ministers' level, three times.

The White House in a statement said, "That President Biden has made this one of his earliest multilateral engagements speaks to the importance we place on close cooperation with our allies and partners in the Indo- Pacific." Adding, "A range of issues, of course, will be discussed — we expect to be discussed, I should say — facing the global community from the threat of COVID, to economic cooperation, and of course, to the climate crisis."

The Quad meeting comes at a time of increased Chinese aggressiveness, not only in the region but with Quad member countries as well. Beijing has locked horns with Australia and the US on the trade front, Japan over Senkaku islands, and a border stand-off with India, that has seen disengagement at one area so far.