Leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) – Australia, India, Japan, and the United States – have called for a just peace in Russia’s war against Ukraine and condemned the Kremlin’s nuclear threats, according to a joint statement published on the White House website.
“We express our deepest concern over the war raging in Ukraine including the terrible and tragic humanitarian consequences. Each of us has visited Ukraine since the war began, and seen this first-hand,” the statement reads.
The Quad summit took place on September 22 in the U.S., with President Joe Biden hosting the leaders at his private residence in Delaware, reports Voice of America.
“We reiterate the need for a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in line with international law, consistent with the purposes and principles of the UN Charter, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” the leaders said.
The Quad leaders also announced measures to strengthen cooperation among the four democracies in the Indo-Pacific region, home to more than half of the world’s population.
“As four leading maritime democracies in the Indo-Pacific, we unequivocally stand for the maintenance of peace and stability across this dynamic region, as an indispensable element of global security and prosperity,” the statement said.
The Quad is a strategic partnership between Australia, India, the U.S. and Japan that was established to address security issues in the Indo-Pacific region.
Founded in 2004 to respond to natural disaster challenges, it became an organization in 2007. Its main goal is to deter aggressive actions by China and ensure stability in the region through joint military exercises and through technological cooperation.
Cover: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque
