The Quad Leaders’ Summit in Japan will provide leaders of four member countries to review the progress of the grouping’s initiatives and discuss global matters, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday.
“We will also exchange views about developments in the Indo-Pacific region and global issues of mutual interest,” he said.
The Quad or Quadrilateral coalition, comprises India, the United States, Japan and Australia.
The newly-elected Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will also attend the summit from Monday to Tuesday.
“I look forward to a bilateral meeting with him [Albanese] during which the multifaceted cooperation between India and Australia under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and regional and global issues of mutual interest will be discussed,” Modi said.
Modi will also be visiting Tokyo to meet his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.
“During my visit to Tokyo, I look forward to continuing our conversation further, with an aim to strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership,” he added.
Modi said he will also hold bilateral talks with US President Joe Biden, who will be attending the summit.
On Saturday, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra had said that Modi’s conversation with Biden will focus on problems of regional and global significance, reported The Indian Express.
“The Prime Minister’s meeting with President Biden will mark the continuation of this high-level dialogue and provide guidance and vision to take the relationship forward,” Kwatra had said. “Quad cooperation is anchored in the shared values and commitment to the principles of democracy, international law and rules-based international order that also has a vision for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.”
On the Ukraine crisis, Kwatra said India’s position was “very clear” as it favours dialogue and diplomacy between Moscow and Kyiv, The Indian Express reported.
When asked if discussions would be made around India’s ban on wheat exports, Kwatra said that the government has taken into consideration the needs of the vulnerable economies.
“The needs of food security in India are paramount for us,” he said. “Yet at the same time, we have also been very careful and calibrated in ensuring that the needs of the vulnerable economy – economies that are vulnerable to the risks of food security – wherever possible, are met.”
On May 13, India banned wheat exports to control the rising prices of the crop in the country.
Before the Russian forces invaded Ukraine on February 24, India only accounted for 1% of global exports. After the crisis, India was looking to export a record one crore tonnes of wheat in 2022-2023.
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