Modi, Biden, other Quad leaders to add momentum to Covid-19 vaccine initiative for Indo-Pacific

The Quad is a coalition forged by India, Japan, Australia and the US, revived in 2017 – in order to create a bulwark of democratic nations to counter China

The Quad leaders will next week review and add new momentum to an initiative they launched earlier this year for supplying Covid-19 vaccines to the countries across the Indo-Pacific region, where the coalition of the four democracies – India, Australia, Japan and the United States – have been trying to counter China.

The Government on Tuesday formally announced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s forthcoming visit to the United States for the first in-person summit of the Quad in Washington DC and the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

The Prime Minister will take part in the Quad’s first in-person summit, which US President Joe Biden will host at the White House on September 24. Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Prime Minister Scott Morrison will also participate in the summit, which will take place six months after the four-nation coalition was elevated to the level of leadership with a video conference among the four on March 12.

Read | Biden to host 'Quad' leaders Modi, Morrison, Suga on Sept 24

The leaders will review progress made since the first virtual summit of the Quad and discuss regional issues of shared interest, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in New Delhi. As part of the ongoing efforts to contain the Covid-19 pandemic, Modi, Biden, Suga and Morrison will review the Quad Vaccine initiative, which they had announced in March.

The US Development Finance Cooperation is supporting the Biological E Limited based at Hyderabad in India to increase capacity to produce by the end of 2022 at least one billion doses of Covid-19 vaccines, including the one developed by Johnson & Johnson, for distribution among the Indo-Pacific nations. The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also pledged to provide a concessional yen loan to the Government of India to expand manufacturing of the Covid-19 vaccines for export.

Though the second Covid-19 wave prompted India to stop sending out vaccines to other nations, the Quad leaders will seek to ensure that the vaccine partnership does not get derailed.

The Quad is a coalition forged by India, Japan, Australia and the US in 2007 and revived in 2017 – in order to create a bulwark of democratic nations to counter China’s expansionist moves and hegemonic aspirations in the Indo-Pacific region.

Also Read | India rejects criticism of Quad as 'Asian NATO'

“Hosting the leaders of the Quad demonstrates the Biden-Harris Administration’s priority of engaging in the Indo-Pacific, including through new multilateral configurations to meet the challenges of the 21st century,” Jen Psaki, the Press Secretary of the White House, said in Washington DC.

The summit will help the US repair the dent its global standing suffered over the recent fiasco in Afghanistan, where the Taliban took advantage of the withdrawal of the foreign troops and took over Kabul on August 15 after occupying many provincial capitals in a swift blitz across the country.

DH had first reported the possibility of the Prime Minister’s visit to the US on June 9.

It had also reported on the Prime Minister’s visit to New York and Washington DC on September 3.

Modi’s visit to Washington DC will also offer an opportunity to him and Biden to hold their first in-person meeting after the change of guard in the White House on January 20.

Read | India, Australia emphasise on free, open Indo-Pacific

The Quad leaders on September 24 will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, climate change and education, the MEA stated in New Delhi on Tuesday, adding that 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.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to address the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on September 25 in New York. The theme for this year’s UN General Assembly is building resilience through hope to recover from the Covid-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the UN.

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