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The United States hosted the fourth annual Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) Tabletop Exercise and Strategic Meeting in Honolulu, Hawaii, from December 2-5, bringing together officials from the US, Australia, India and Japan to strengthen our disaster-response capabilities across the Indo-Pacific.
According to a press release issued by the US State Department, the exercise "underscores the Quad's commitment to reliable and effective lifesaving support for the people of the region." The Department said HADR is a founding pillar of the Quad partnership and a cornerstone of the group's efforts to advance peace, security, prosperity and resilience in the Indo-Pacific. "As a founding pillar of the Quad partnership, HADR is a cornerstone of the group's efforts to advance peace, security, prosperity, and resilience in the Indo-Pacific," the release said. Highlighting a recent example of cooperation, the State Department noted that the Quad's coordinated response to the devastating earthquake in Burma earlier this year demonstrated the bloc's ability to mobilise resources and deliver life-saving assistance rapidly. "Our coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance in response to the devastating earthquake in Burma in March this year was a testament to the Quad's ability to mobilise resources and rapidly deliver life-saving assistance," the release added. The HADR meeting came just as the four countries convened another key engagement in New Delhi. The third Quad Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) meeting--held on December 4 and 5--brought together representatives from India, Japan, Australia and the United States to review joint efforts against terrorism. In a joint statement, Quad partners unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. They also expressed condolences for the "heinous" November 10 terror attack near Delhi's Red Fort, in which fifteen people were killed, and more than two dozen were injured after a blast at around 7 pm. The National Investigation Agency is currently probing the case. The Quad members called for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of the attack to be brought to justice and urged all UN Member States to cooperate in this regard. The CTWG meeting was held as part of India's rotation hosting the next Quad Summit. The Working Group was established during the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi in March 2023 to deepen counter-terrorism cooperation among the four nations. (ANI)
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