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Fumio Kishida said on Saturday that the Quad Leaders Summit taking place in Wilmington, Delaware "could not have been better suited" for his last foreign visit as the Prime Minister of Japan.
Kishida said that he consistently emphasised and underscored the efforts by the Quad (Quadrilateral Security Dialogue) during his tenure, as he recalled the last meeting, which was held in Japan's Hiroshima. "It is a pleasure to get together with the leaders of the Quad at the Alma Mater of Joe to discuss the future of the Indo-Pacific...I express my gratitude to Joe's friendship for ourselves and for our leadership and hostility, which demonstrate your emphasis on the Quad," the Japanese PM in his opening remarks at the Quad Summit. "During my tenure, I have consistently emphasised and underscored the efforts by the Quad. Following the last meeting, which was held in my hometown of Hiroshima, this meeting, I believe, could not have been better suited for my last foreign visit as the Prime Minister," Kishida added. He underscored the need for concrete actions by the Quad grouping, adding that security environment has been becoming increasingly severe. Kishida said, "The security environment surrounding ourselves has been becoming increasingly severe, and a free and open international order-based on the rule of law is under threat. Under this backdrop, it is ever more important for us and the Quad, who share values such as freedom and democracy, to continue to demonstrate our firm commitment to our common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific to the international community." The Japanese PM asserted how important it is to coordinate with the regional countries and materialise the collective vision of Quad. "It is crucial to coordinate with the regional countries and to materialise our vision by concrete actions. I here, look forward to, a fruitful discussion today so that we may listen to other regional countries, including ASEAN, South Asia, and the Pacific Islands, and to further promote practical cooperation that would be a genuine benefit for the region," he said concluding the remarks at the summit in Delaware. As President Biden hosted a quadrilateral meeting on Saturday with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, he also announced a series of initiatives to deliver a real positive impact for the Indo-Pacific, including providing new maritime technologies to Quad partners. Earlier on Saturday, a family photo of Quad leaders, including PM Modi, President Biden, along with Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Japan's PM Fumio Kishida, was clicked at the venue ahead of the Quad meeting. The sixth edition of the Quad Leaders' Summit is a 'farewell' summit for both US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before they step down from their respective offices. Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries--Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. US President Joe Biden is the host of the fourth in-person and sixth overall Quad Leaders' Summit in Delaware. 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. The summit's focus lies on bolstering strategic convergence among the four countries, advancing a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. (ANI)
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