New Delhi, May 18 (FN Bureau) Several deliverables are expected from the Quad summit in Hiroshima when Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets with the leaders of Japan, US and Australia on the sidelines of the G7 summit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said. Addressing a special briefing on the upcoming visit of PM Modi to Japan, Papua New Guinea and Australia, the FS also dispelled doubts on whether the meeting between PM Modi, Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, Australian PM Anthony Albanese and US President Joe Biden in Hiroshima, on the sidelines of the G7 summit, could be called a Quad summit. “When the four Quad leaders meet, it is a Quad summit,” the FS stated. Elaborating on the upcoming meeting between the four leaders, FS Kwatra said there would be no change in the collective objective of the Quad, irrespective of the change in venue after Australia called off the Sydney summit: “The elements of our engagement among the Quad countries, across various domains, there would be absolutely no change in our collective objective to, one, strengthen them, two, build further layers of partnership and cooperation on them.
“When the four leaders meet in Hiroshima they would naturally take a very good stock, good assessment of what has been the current status of engagement among the Quad countries, and also build further on that. A lot of preparation has gone on for this Quad meeting. “There are several deliverables that we are expecting to come out of it, and I think all of that would be showcased when the four leaders meet in Hiroshima,” he added. To a question, he said the partnership and cooperation between the Quad countries functions in such a way that when the leaders meet in Hiroshima the meeting would take forward from the last summit engagement between the four leaders.
The discussions would centre around the issues of maritime, economy, development cooperation, increased cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, in Hiroshima “if it is held on time”, he said. Asked about the change in venue, he said “there is change in venue, but the cooperation and partnership in the main specific aspects, there is no change in that”. He also said that PM Modi would be having bilateral meetings with the Japanese PM and “quite a few other leaders”, but these would be announced once there is more clarity on them. PM Modi leaves tomorrow morning for Hiroshima, where the G7 Summit is being held. He will proceed from there to Papua New Guinea for the Third Forum of India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC) Summit, and from there to Sydney, where he will hold a bilateral meeting with the Australian PM Anthony Albanese and address a community event.