PM Modi pushes for talks on Ukraine at Quad meet

The leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, or Quad, discussed the Ukraine crisis at a virtual summit on Thursday, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi reiterating his call for all countries to return to a path of dialogue and diplomacy. Ukraine was one of the key issues discussed at the meeting, which was also attended by US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.PM Modi also reiterated the importance of adhering to the UN Charter, international law and respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. During the unscheduled summit convened by the US, the leaders agreed to create a new humanitarian assistance and disaster relief mechanism that will enable Quad to meet future humanitarian challenges in the Indo-Pacific and “provide a channel for communication as they each address and respond to the crisis in Ukraine”, according to a joint readout. A statement from the Indian Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said Modi underlined that the Quad “must remain focused on its core objective of promoting peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific”.

Participated in a productive virtual Quad Leaders’ meeting today with @POTUS @JoeBiden, PM @ScottMorrisonMP and @JPN_PMO Kishida. Reaffirmed our shared commitment to ensuring security, safety and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific.

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 3, 2022

The meeting reviewed the progress on Quad initiatives since the September 2021 summit and the The leaders also discussed other issues, including the situation in Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean region and the Pacific Islands, the PM's Office said.   leaders agreed on accelerating cooperation, with an objective to achieve concrete outcomes by the summit in Japan later this year.