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Welcoming the Quad leaders for the first in-person meeting, US President said that the grouping has a common vision for the future and has come together to take on key challenges including COVID-19 and climate change.
The much-anticipated first in-person meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad - India, the United States, Australia and Japan) began here on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is participating in the Quad leaders summit being hosted by Biden at the White House. "I am honoured to welcome PM Morrison, PM Modi, PM Suga for a first in-person meeting of Quad. This group has democratic partners who share world view and have a common vision for future, coming together to take on key challenges of our age," Biden said. According to sources and official announcements, today's summit will touch upon a variety of subjects like 5G technology, climate change, critical infrastructure, supply chains and regional security. Earlier today, PM Modi and US President Biden held their first bilateral meeting since the latter assumed office and discussed bilateral relations including trade, COVID-19, climate challenges, and stability in the Indo-Pacific. Quad leaders will review progress made since their first virtual summit on March 12, 2021, and discuss regional issues of shared interest. They will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, climate change, and education. The Summit would provide a valuable opportunity for dialogue and interactions among the leaders, anchored in their shared vision of ensuring a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. A US official has said that hosting the Quad fundamentally is a demonstration of the priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations designed to focus on 21st-century challenges. On Thursday, PM Modi met his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison, US Vice President Kamala Harris, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and held meetings with five global CEOs for potential investment in India. Earlier in March, the first-ever Quad virtual summit had stressed a free, open, and rule-based Indo-Pacific region that is "anchored by democratic values, and unconstrained by coercion". (ANI)
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