India, US reaffirm commitment for free, inclusive Indo-Pacific; look forward to Quad’s role

November 11, 2023 12:41 pm

New Delhi [India] (ANI): India and the United States reaffirmed their commitment to a “free, open, inclusive and resilient” Indo-Pacific and emphasized the important role of the Quad as a “force for global good”.

The India-US joint statement said that the ministers look forward to India hosting the next in-person Quad Leader’s Summit in 2024.

The two countries renewed their shared desire to consolidate their dialogue and collaboration through the Quad Alliance.

“They emphasized the important role of the Quad as a force for global good for the peoples of the Indo-Pacific. The Ministers look forward to India hosting the next in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in 2024,” the joint statement read.

The Ministers affirmed the importance of exchanging perspectives on shared global challenges, such as cooperation in multilateral fora and promoting respect for human rights globally and look forward to the Ministry of External Affairs and the US Department of State holding the next India-US Global Issues Forum in New Delhi in early 2024.

India and the US also appreciated the ongoing efforts of the I2U2 countries — bloc of India, Israel, US and UAE — to enhance food and energy security and improve the movement of people and goods across hemispheres.

The Ministers also noted that the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor will enhance connectivity between Asia and Europe and will unlock new potential for economic growth in the two continents.

The leaders welcomed the relaunch of consultations between the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and the US Department of State on Africa, aimed at exploring potential trilateral cooperation in Africa. They also looked forward to convening the next round of East Asia Consultations between the Indian Ministry of External Affairs and the US Department of State at an early date, the statement added.

The Ministers noted the substantial progress in transforming India-US relations across domains, based on trust and mutual understanding.

Building upon the June 2023 and September 2023 visits of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Joe Biden, the Ministers reaffirmed the importance of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership in ensuring international peace and security.

“As natural and trusted partners with a shared commitment to advance democracy, human rights, and pluralism, and growing convergence of strategic interests, India and the United States reaffirmed their resolve to promote a resilient, rules-based international order with respect for international law, including the UN Charter, sovereignty and territorial integrity, and to ensure peace and prosperity for all,” the statement read.

The Ministers further praised the recent fifth India-US Health Dialogue, which was held on October 11-13, in Washington, DC.

The two sides identified several areas for future cooperation, including multilateral cooperation, pandemic preparedness and response, health safety and security, universal health coverage, access, equity, and communicable and non-communicable diseases for future cooperation.

The Ministers celebrated concrete steps taken to kickstart cooperation under the Cancer Moonshot programme.

India and the US applauded the growing trade and commercial partnership and noted that in 2023, bilateral trade has the potential to cross USD 200 billion despite a challenging global trade environment.

“They appreciated the reinvigorated work of the India-US Trade Policy Forum (TPF) and the use of that mechanism to resolve long-standing trade concerns during 2023 and the announcement of “Innovation Handshake” under the Commercial Dialogue to enhance their dynamic start-up ecosystems as well as promote innovation and post-pandemic economic recovery and job growth, particularly in critical and emerging technologies (CET),” the statement further read.

The Ministers looked forward to the convening of next ministerial TPF and Commercial Dialogue meeting early next year.

They also welcomed the steady progress of the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF), and looked forward to the upcoming IPEF Ministerial meeting in November 2023. (ANI)

This report is auto-generated from ANI news service. South Asian Correspondent holds no responsibility for its content.