America's relationship with Pakistan has "not served" either of the two countries, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said Sunday raising questions on the Biden administration's approval of a USD 450-million sustenance package for F-16 fleet.

"Very honestly, it's a relationship that has neither ended up serving Pakistan well, nor serving the American interests. So, it is really for the United States today to reflect on what are the merits of this relationship and what do they get by it, Jaishankar said in response to a question during an interaction with the Indian-Americans.

Referring to the argument made by the US that F-16 sustenance package is to fight terrorism, he said everybody knows where and against whom F-16 are used. "You're not fooling anybody by saying these things," he said in response to a question.

Early this month, the Biden administration approved a USD 450 million F-16 fighter jet fleet sustainment programme to Pakistan, reversing the decision of the previous Trump administration to suspend military aid to Islamabad for providing safe havens for the Afghan Taliban and the Haqqani network.

In a notification to the US Congress, the State Department made a determination approving a possible foreign military sale for sustainment and related equipment for an estimated cost of USD 450 million, arguing that this will sustain Islamabad's capability to meet current and future counterterrorism threats by maintaining its F-16 fleet.

In a call with US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had expressed India's concerns about the F-16 package to Pakistan

Islamabad,(PTI) A local court in Pakistan on Sunday approved a one-day physical remand of a senior journalist for his alleged involvement in the gruesome murder of his daughter-in-law.

Journalist Ayaz Amir was arrested on Saturday, a day after his son Shah Nawaz brutally killed his 37-year-old wife with a dumbbell apparently over a domestic dispute, according to police.

The murder took place at a farmhouse located in the capital’s Chak Shehzad suburb where the suspect lived along with his mother. The farm house was owned by Nawaz’s mother who is the ex-wife of his father.

Amir was arrested hours after police were directed by the district and sessions court in Islamabad to arrest Nawaz’s parents to investigate the killing of Sara Inam, a Canadian citizen of Pakistani origin.

After killing his wife, the suspect allegedly put Sara’s body in a bathtub, sources said.

Earlier on Saturday, Nawaz was handed over to the police for a two-day physical remand.

At the hearing on Sunday, Amir and his son were produced before judge Zahid Tirmizi.

Amir expressed his disappointment before the court, saying he had been arrested “despite the fact that I provided information to the police”, the Dawn newspaper reported.

“Shahnawaz is a suspect and I have no sympathies for him,” he told the court.

“Shahnawaz is addicted to drugs,” he said, refraining from defending his son in court.

After hearing arguments, the court granted a one-day physical remand of the journalist.

Amir is a well-known journalist who has also served as a member of Parliament. He regularly appeared in a talk show on Dunya TV until he was arrested. He is also known for his anti-government and anti-establishment views and was recently attacked by unknown persons, a known tactic to silence critics. PTI 

The strategy to globalisation is decentralisation and the strategy to multilateralism is reformed multilateralism, now not a 1945-version of multilateralism, Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has mentioned.

Talking at an tournament titled ‘The G20 Crucial: Inexperienced Enlargement and Construction for All’ organised through the Observer Analysis Basis right here on Friday, Jaishankar mentioned the 2 phrases beneath assault lately are globalisation and multilateralism.

“I do not believe there may be anything else unsuitable with both of them. What’s challengeable is how they have got been applied. Has multilateralism failed us? I will be able to say this type of multilateralism within the palms of those other people in all probability has now not delivered,” he mentioned.

Jaishankar used to be in dialog with UK’s Minister of State for Construction, Overseas Commonwealth & Construction Administrative center (FCDO), Vicky Ford and Global Financial Discussion board President Borge Brende in a dialogue moderated through President of Observer Analysis Basis Samir Saran.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

jaishankar added that the answer is in reality extra multilateralism.

 

 

“Why are all of us right here this week?”, he mentioned, pointing to the world neighborhood amassing in New York right through the high-level UN Normal Meeting week.

“We are all right here this week as a result of on the finish of the day, other people nonetheless imagine within the UN, coming right here, sitting in combination, operating it out, discovering a gadget,” he mentioned.

 

 

 

 

“What’s unsuitable is the narrowness within the pondering of the custodians of the gadget. And I’d argue the similar applies to globalisation. The actual downside with globalisation is it used to be so centralised…,” he mentioned.

 

 

“The strategy to globalisation is decentralisation. Decentralised globalisation. I’d argue the strategy to multilateralism is reformed multilateralism, now not a 1945 edition of multilateralism which is 75-80 years outdated,” he mentioned in a connection with the UN established over seven many years in the past.

“I feel between the conflicts, to COVID, local weather exchange, my sense is we’re attaining one of those a disaster length the place the arena should take some very radical choices. Whether or not they get taken within the G20 or out of doors the G20, in bits and items subsequent yr, all that we do not know. However it’s nowadays actually an inflection level,” Jaishankar mentioned.

Jaishankar mentioned that right through his conferences with over 60 overseas ministers from world wide right through the high-level UN Normal Meeting week, two-thirds of them have been from the growing international they usually have been “in reality offended” concerning the state of the arena.

They’re “offended concerning the state of the arena as a result of, within the guise of very politically proper formulations, they are getting shortchanged each day and it’s like that is the means the arena is,” he mentioned.

He mentioned the world neighborhood wishes to invite itself how lengthy that is going to proceed.

“I want I may just cling up extra hope for you however this yr’s revel in, unfortunately sufficient, has now not been extraordinarily encouraging.”

 

 

 

 

Relating to the yr long gone through, Jaishankar mentioned “take a look at the meals shortages” and added that there have been debates that marketplace forces will have to be allowed to be triumphant, and markets will have to be saved open.

 

 

“Wager who will get the meals when the markets are open. I will see all of it shifting north,” he mentioned, creating a connection with advanced international locations.

“Now we’ve got observed the similar on power. There are nations whose tenders don’t elicit responses. Wager why? As a result of markets are operating. And the markets are taking all of them to Europe at top rate costs.

He added that if one appears at oil and fuel, if “you set Iran out of the marketplace, Venezuela out of the marketplace, you need to position Russia out of the marketplace. What’s the international intended to do? This isn’t about de-risking, that is about retaining the markets alive. And those are coverage possible choices which nations have made.”

He added that “it is not about getting power transition proper. It’s about getting the politics of the arena proper.”

 

 

 

 

He referred to a statement made through a minister in a gathering with small island growing states, who mentioned it used to be very laborious to get USD 100 billion for local weather exchange, which is existential however come what may when there’s a struggle, the handbag strings get loosened.

 

 

“When you upload up the entire commitments which were made for the massive struggle which is underway, they are lovely as regards to USD 100 million. So there is not any scarcity of money. There may be I’d say a loss of urgency.”

The White House is looking into the recommendations of a presidential commission to reduce the adjudication and processing of Green Card applications to just six months and remove all the backlogs by April 2023, a proposal if implemented would benefit hundreds and thousands of immigrant families, in particular, those from countries like India and China.

The recommendations were made in May this year by the President’s Advisory Commission on Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders.

On Friday, the commission released its inaugural report detailing recommendations that were approved on May 12 and transmitted to the President on August 24. The White House Domestic Policy Council is currently reviewing the recommendation before it can be sent to President Joe Biden for his decision.

A Green Card, known officially as a Permanent Resident Card, is a document issued to immigrants to the US as evidence that the bearer has been granted the privilege of residing permanently.

Silicon Valley-based Indian American entrepreneur Ajay Jain Bhutoria, who has been a Biden supporter from day one of his campaign, based on the feedback received from the community had moved the proposal on the issue during the first meeting of the commission in May this year. His proposal was unanimously accepted by the commission.

The recommendations, if accepted and implemented by the White House, would come as a game changer for hundreds and thousands of immigrant families, in particular, those from countries like India and China.

According to the commission’s report, because of COVID-19-related closures and staffing limitations as well as the continued effect of the 2017 travel bans, processing green cards up to the annual cap has been difficult. 

Out of the annual 226,000 green cards available, only 65,452 family-based preference green cards were issued in FY 2021, it said.

The commission said that the Department of State’s National Visa Center (NVC) facility should hire additional officers to increase its capacity to process Green Card application interviews by 100 per cent in three months from August 2022, and by increasing Green Card applications and visa interviews and adjudicate decisions by 150 per cent (from the current the capacity of 32,439 in April 2022) by April 2023, and reduce the current backlog by the end of 2023.

“Thereafter, Green Card visa interviews and visa processing timelines should be limited to a targeted goal of six months,” it said.

According to the commission, to reduce the agency’s pending family-based Green Card backlog, US Citizenship and Immigration Services should review their processes, systems, and policies and establish new internal cycle time goals by streamlining processes, removing redundant steps, if any, and automating any manual approvals.

It should improve its internal dashboards and reporting system, and enhance policies to reduce the cycle time for processing all forms related to family-based Green Card applications, it said.

Family-based immigration backlogs have increased significantly over the past three decades, which has resulted in years-long delays in family reunification. 

It is estimated that the family-based visa backlog exceeds 7.5 million applications, up from 3.3 million in 1992 and 6.2 million in 2009, the commission said.

Of this number, approximately 40 per cent are Asian American or Pacific Islander family members of US citizens or permanent residents, the commission said.

The Commission in its report recommended that the targeted goal for applications to be processed is six months unless there is a query or question by the USCIS. 

“If there is a query or more information is needed, USCIS (the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) and the Department of State (DOS) shall continue to process the applications outside the six-month goal and adjudicate decisions in a timely fashion,” it said.

“If an application is not completed in six months, then it will not be terminated and will continue to be processed in a timely fashion ongoing,” it added.

The committee recommended automatically extending work permit renewal extensions to 365 days. 

Most work permit holders who apply for renewals are eligible for an automatic 180-day extension if their authorisation to work lapses, it said.

However, many immigrants are waiting for their work permit renewals longer than that, often beyond 10 months.

The subcommittee recommends extending the period of automatic work permit extensions for those who apply for a renewal to 365 days instead of the current 180 days. This is in alignment with USCIS’ current planned strategy to address the backlog, it added. 
The presidential commission has recommended hiring more officers and increasing staff by an additional 200 to 250 officers by 2023 to improve internal processing times to meet new timelines for adjudicating applications. 

It has recommended adjudicating requests for temporary work programmes, such as the H-1B and H-2A visas for agricultural workers, within two months.

The H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

The committee also recommended that review and adjudication requests for work permits, travel documents, and temporary status extensions or changes should be reviewed and adjudicated within three months.

Federal agencies should provide key documents, digital content, and forms on their websites translated into multiple AA and NHPI (Asian Americans (AA), Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders) languages, the commission recommended.

Washington, Sep 24 (PTI) US President Joe Biden has terminated the designation of Afghanistan as a major non-NATO ally, more than a year after the Taliban captured power in Kabul.

In 2012, the United States named Afghanistan a major non-NATO (MNNA) ally, which cleared the way for the two countries to maintain a defence and economic relationship.

The designation gave several facilities and concessions to Afghanistan in terms of defence and security-related assistance and equipment.

“By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961,…I hereby terminate the designation of Afghanistan as a Major Non-NATO Ally of the United States for the purposes of the Act and the Arms Export Control Act,” Biden said in a presidential memorandum to the Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

The change in Afghanistan’s status follows Biden’s withdrawal of US troops from the country last year, ending nearly 20 years of war.

Afghanistan swiftly fell back into the hands of the Taliban, which have repeatedly made assurances to the international community that they will protect the rights of women and girls, while simultaneously stripping away many of their freedoms and protections.

The MNNA status was first created in 1987. With Afghanistan’s status rescinded, the US will have 18 major non-NATO allies, according to the State Department.

They are Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Morocco, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Korea, Thailand and Tunisia.

Taiwan is treated as an MNNA, without formal designation as such, according to the State Department.

Early this month, Indian-American Congressman Ro Khanna tabled a resolution in the House of Representatives to designate India as a major non-NATO ally.

A major non-NATO ally is eligible for loans of material, supplies, or equipment for cooperative research, development, testing, or evaluation purposes. They are also eligible as a location for US-owned War Reserve Stockpiles to be placed on its territory outside of US military facilities.

These countries enter into agreements with the United States for the cooperative furnishing of training on a bilateral or multilateral basis, if the financial arrangements are reciprocal and provide for reimbursement of all US direct costs. PTI 

New York,(PTI) The L.69 group of countries from Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific have committed to instilling “new life” in their efforts towards achieving reform of the UN Security Council.

The grouping also underlined that lack of progress in the process has serious implications not only for the continued relevance of global governance institutions but also for world peace and security.

A high-level meeting of members of the L.69 group and other invited like-minded countries on ‘Reinvigorating Multilateralism and Achieving Comprehensive Reform of the UN Security Council’ was held here Friday on the margins of the 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

The meeting was chaired by Prime Minister of St. Vincent and Grenadines Ralph Gonsalves and co-hosted by India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

In a joint statement, the group reaffirmed that adapting the United Nations to the contemporary world realities necessarily requires “urgent and comprehensive” reform of the Security Council, the principal organ for international peace and security.

The L69 group reiterated that an expansion of the security council in both permanent and non-permanent categories, as well as reform in its working methods, is “indispensable” in making it more representative, legitimate and effective.

“We commit to instilling a new life in our efforts during the 77th session of the General Assembly and urgently call on all members states of the United Nations to join hands to achieve a comprehensive reform of the Security Council,” the group said in a statement adding they affirm their commitment to making concrete progress on UNSC, including through a reenergized intergovernmental process.

“We further recognise that lack of progress in security council reform has serious implications, not only for the continued relevance of global governance institutions but also for global peace and security and delivering on the purposes, principles and promises of the United Nations Charter,” the statement said.

Noting that world leaders are gathering for the high-level UN General Assembly at a time when the world faces increasingly complex and interconnected global challenges, the group said it recognizes that a resilient world urgently needs reformed and effective multilateralism to deliver solutions for the pressing and evolving challenges of its time, developmental challenges, poverty, climate change, pandemics, global food security, international conflicts and crises, and international terrorism.

Emphasising that a legitimate security council must be reflective of the aspirations and perspectives of the developing world, which form the majority of the UN’s membership, the group noted that a reformed Security Council must better reflect the contemporary UN membership, including through enhanced representation of Small Island Developing States, which comprise approximately 20 per cent of the membership.

The group also reaffirmed its support for the representation of Africa in line with the Common African Position, as contained in the Ezulwini Consensus and the Sirte Declaration.

It stressed the need for a formal negotiation process, guided by the decision-making modalities and working methods laid out in the Charter of the United Nations and in line with the rules and procedures of the General Assembly.

The meeting commemorated the 15th anniversary of the founding of L.69 group of pro-reform member states, including primarily developing countries from Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific, all united by a common desire to achieve a comprehensive reform of the Security Council and, ultimately, strengthen multilateralism.

The L.69 Group, presently chaired by St. Vincent and Grenadines, includes the Bahamas, Bangladesh, Barbados, Bhutan, Brazil, Bolivia, Burundi, Cabo Verde, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Liberia, Maldives, Mauritius, Micronesia, Mongolia, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, South Africa, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu. PTI

 United Nations, (PTI) Pakistan is looking for peace with all its neighbours, including India but sustainable peace and stability in South Asia remain contingent on a just and lasting solution to the Kashmir dispute, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said here on Friday.

Speaking at the UN General Assembly, Shehbaz claimed that India’s “illegal and unilateral” actions on August 5, 2019 to change the special status of Jammu and Kashmir further undermined the prospects of peace and inflamed regional tensions.

“Pakistan needs a stable external environment. We look for peace with all our neighbours, including India. Sustainable peace and stability in South Asia, however, remains contingent upon a just and lasting solution of the Jammu and Kashmir dispute,” he said.

“I think it’s high time that India understood this message loud and clear that both countries are armed to the teeth. War is not an option. It is not an option. Only peaceful dialogue can resolve these issues so that the world becomes more peaceful in time to come,” he said.

India has repeatedly told Pakistan that Jammu and Kashmir “was, is and shall forever” remain an integral part of the country. India has said it desires normal neighbourly relations with Pakistan in an environment free of terror, hostility and violence.

The ties between India and Pakistan nosedived after New Delhi abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution.

India’s decision evoked strong reactions from Pakistan, which downgraded diplomatic ties and expelled the Indian envoy.

Shehbaz said that New Delhi has ramped up its military deployments in Jammu and Kashmir, thus making it the “most militarised zone in the world,” he said.

He said the Pakistani people have always stood by Kashmiris in complete solidarity and will continue to do so.

“I assured the World Forum that we in Pakistan remain consistent in our commitment to peace in South Asia. India must take reasonable steps to create an enabling environment for constructive engagement,” he said.

“We are neighbours and we are there forever. The choice is ours. Whether we live in peace or keep on fighting with each other. We have had three wars from 1947 onwards. And as a consequence, only misery, poverty and unemployment have increased on both sides.

Shehbaz said both India and Pakistan should not waste their resources in buying more ammunition and trying to promote tension.

“It’s now up to us to resolve our differences, our problems or issues like peaceful neighbours through peaceful negotiations and discussions and save our scarce resources for promoting education and health and employment to millions of people,” he said. PTI 

New York, (PTI) The Quad nations of India, Japan, Australia and the US called on states to take reasonable steps to address ransomware operations emanating from within their territory and highlighted that practical cooperation among Indo-Pacific partners would result in denying safe haven to ransomware actors in the region.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australian Penny Wong met here on Friday for the Quad Ministerial meeting on the margins of the high-level 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

Ahead of their meeting, the ministers signed the guidelines to operationalise the Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Partnership for the Indo-Pacific announced by Quad leaders in May 2022.

Quad also announced a statement on ransomware, calling on states to take reasonable steps to address ransomware operations emanating from their territory.

According to the Quad Foreign Ministers’ statement on Ransomware, they voiced their commitment to an open, secure, stable, accessible, and peaceful cyberspace and support regional initiatives to enhance the capacity of countries to implement the UN Framework for Responsible State Behavior in Cyberspace.

“We strongly believe that focused initiatives for enhancing the cyber capabilities of Indo-Pacific countries would ensure the security and resilience of regional cyber infrastructure,” it said.

Quad also welcomed the negotiations of a possible new UN cybercrime convention as a long-term means to address cybercrime more broadly which will have utility in countering ransomware.

“We underscore the need for a new treaty to be drafted in a technologically neutral and flexible manner, which does not describe specific technologies or criminal methodologies,” it said.

Recalling the last Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in February this year, the ministers voiced their commitment to addressing the global threat of ransomware, which has been an obstacle to Indo-Pacific economic development and security.

“The transnational nature of ransomware can adversely affect our national security, finance sector and business enterprise, critical infrastructure, and the protection of personal data. We appreciate the progress made by the 36 countries supporting the U.S.-led Counter Ransomware Initiative (CRI) and the regular, practical-oriented consultations against cybercrime in the Indo-Pacific region,” it said.

The ministers called on states to take reasonable steps to address ransomware operations emanating from within their territory.

“We exercise responsibility to assist each other in the face of malicious cyber activity, including from ransomware, against critical infrastructure,” they said, adding that they also signal their collective will to fight ransomware threats to the cyber infrastructure that enables Indo-Pacific economic development and security.

“We commit to further cooperate on capacity-building programs and initiatives that are aimed at enhancing regional cybersecurity and improve resilience against ransomware attacks in the Indo-Pacific. The Ministers highlight that practical cooperation in countering ransomware among Indo-Pacific partners would result in denying safe haven to ransomware actors in the region.

“We focus on results-oriented efforts to assist partners across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen their resilience, trust, and confidence in cyberspace, and effective incident-response capabilities,” it said.

They underscored the importance of the multistakeholder approach to building counter-ransomware capacity building, including promoting the role of existing mechanisms such as the Global Forum on Cyber Expertise (GFCE).

They recognised the multistakeholder approach to internet governance will uphold our shared values in the design and use of technologies and cyberspace across our region.

The guidelines on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) have been designed to respond to the vulnerabilities of the Indo-Pacific region and will serve as a dedicated framework for Quad partners to coordinate their disaster response operations in the region.

The mechanism will augment their capacity and capability, interoperability and operational synergy to undertake HADR operations, a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Under the partnership, Quad partners will promote inclusion by advancing gender equality and women’s and girls’ empowerment, ensuring persons with disabilities are agents and beneficiaries of humanitarian action, and by ensuring indigenous people, minority groups and persons in vulnerable situations are not left behind. The guidelines call for zero tolerance for inaction on tackling Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Harassment (SEAH).

The statement said that the response operations will be guided by the core principles of humanity, neutrality and impartiality as outlined in the relevant United Nations General Assembly Resolution on the provisions of humanitarian assistance.

A request for international assistance is needed before Quad partners may act in coordination under the Partnership. Quad partners may provide joint or coordinated individual assistance in crisis preparation or alert, crisis-response or post-crisis review phases of disaster response.

Any humanitarian action will be carried out with respect for the sovereignty, territorial integrity and national unity of the affected state.

“The signing of these Guidelines marks a significant moment in Quad cooperation, which traces its origin from the 2004 ad hoc Tsunami Core Group which catalyzed international response efforts in the aftermath of the tsunami that devastated many countries in the region,” it said.

Quad partners will meet twice a year to share lessons and operational updates and will conduct at least one scenario-based tabletop exercise to improve preparedness, coordination and interoperability.

“The partnership will coordinate HADR operations with the UN and other international agencies and donors, regional and local governments, public and private organisations, and non-government organizations where appropriate and in the best interest of humanity,” it said. PTI 

 New York, (PTI) The Quad nations of India, Japan, Australia and the US reaffirmed their conviction that international law, peace, and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific and strongly opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the region.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australian Penny Wong met here on Friday for the Quad Ministerial meeting on the margins of the high-level 77th session of the UN General Assembly.

Ahead of their meeting, the ministers signed the guidelines to operationalise the Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Partnership for the Indo-Pacific announced by Quad leaders in May 2022.

Quad also announced a statement on ransomware, calling on states to take reasonable steps to address ransomware operations emanating from their territory.

In a joint readout of the Quad Ministerial Meeting, the nations “reaffirmed our conviction that international law, peace, and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.” “We strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the region. We also reaffirmed our unwavering support for ASEAN unity and centrality, ASEAN-led regional architecture, and practical implementation of ASEAN’s Outlook on the Indo-Pacific,” it said.

In the meeting, the ministers underscored the Quad’s unwavering support for the UN Charter, including its three pillars, and their steadfast commitment to strengthening and reforming the UN and international system.

“The Quad affirmed its support for a UN that solves the consequential challenges of our time and safeguards our shared and interconnected resources. This includes the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals,” it said.

They said thay are also committed to advancing a comprehensive UN reform agenda, including through expansion in permanent and non-permanent seats of the UN Security Council, so that the Council reflects the current global realities and incorporates more geographically diverse perspectives.

“We underscored the need to address attempts to unilaterally subvert the international and multilateral system, including in the UN,” it said.

The minsters signed guidelines to operationalise the Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Partnership for the Indo-Pacific announced by Quad leaders in May 2022 and said they look forward to the counter-terrorism tabletop exercise being hosted by Australia later in 2022.

“We reiterated the Quad’s commitment to supporting regional partners’ efforts to improve their maritime security and domain awareness. We support the ongoing efforts, in close consultation with regional partners, to take forward the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness.

“We will continue to leverage our collective expertise to support the region to respond to other challenges, such as education and disinformation, as well as advance the initiatives set forth by Quad leaders on health security, climate change, infrastructure, peaceful use of outer space, critical and emerging technologies, and cybersecurity,” it said.

The ministers intend to meet in person for the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi in early 2023.

“The Quad’s vision is for a region where the rules-based international order is upheld, and where the principles of freedom, rule of law, democratic values, peaceful settlement of disputes, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are respected,” the statement said.

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar said the meeting was particularly timely because the world is going through a very difficult period, “the global repercussions of the Ukraine conflict, we are seeing climate events and emergencies” on an unprecedented scale.

He said given the turbulent times, it’s particularly important that the Quad goes further in the constructive agenda that they have set for themselves and that the four nations work together in delivering the public goods.

He added that the HADR partnership, which was discussed and finalised in Tokyo, is extremely timely. He said there are other initiatives in the making, some little further in the pipeline like the STEM fellowship and they are working on the economic framework as well as the maritime domain awareness. He added that the meeting is also an opportunity for the four nations together to discuss how to strengthen the UN-led multilateral system.

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar said the meeting was particularly timely because the world is going through a very difficult period, asserting that with the “global repercussions of the Ukraine conflict, we are seeing climate events and emergencies” on an unprecedented scale.

He said given the turbulent times, it’s particularly important that the Quad goes further in the constructive agenda that they have set for themselves and that the four nations work together in delivering the public goods.

He added that the HADR partnership, which was discussed and finalised in Tokyo, is “extremely timely.” Jaishankar said there are other initiatives in the making, some little further in the pipeline like the STEM fellowship and they are working on the economic framework as well as the maritime domain awareness.

He said that the meeting is also an opportunity for the four nations together to discuss how to strengthen the UN-led multilateral system. In his remarks, Blinken said that the meeting on the margins of UNGA is evidence that the Quad is strong and getting stronger, strengthening “our multilateral cooperation”.

He said the members of the grouping know well the significant challenges “that we face as well as the opportunities that are before us, demand more than ever that we work together.” “No one of us alone can do what is necessary to meet these challenges and seize these opportunities. And that’s an inspiration behind the Quad,” Blinken said, adding that this is the first time that the Quad foreign ministers have gotten together at the United Nations General Assembly.

“So, my hope is that this will become a regular feature of these meetings,” he said.

He said the Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Guidelines lay the groundwork for the nations to cooperate and coordinate more on, for example, climate disaster responses.

“We’re looking forward to continuing to explore the many ways that the Quad enables us to deepen our cooperation. Our leaders have set out a very significant agenda for us when they met. We’re following through on a lot of that work,” he said.

Wong said Australia is committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific inclusive and resilient and to a Quad that is a force for good and which is committed to bringing tangible benefits to the region and ensuring a region that is peaceful, stable, prosperous and in which sovereignty is respected, where countries are free to make their own choices.

“None of us in this room want to see a region in which countries are not able to make those sovereign choices, where any one country or any one perspective dominates. We do know our region is being reshaped, economically and strategically, the four nations will work together to better navigate this period of change together,” Wong said.

Hayashi said today the world is witnessing direct attempts to unilaterally change the status quo. The free and open international order based on the rule of law is under threat.

“So, it’s extremely significant for us to demonstrate together to the international community our firm commitment,” Hayashi said.

In 2017, Japan, India, Australia and the United States. given shape to the long-pending proposal of setting up the “Quad” or the Quadrilateral coalition to counter China’s aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific region. PTI 

Washington, (PTI) The United States is heartened by the recent comment made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Russian President Vladimir Putin that this is not the time for war in Ukraine, a senior Pentagon official said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Modi had met President Putin in Uzbekistan city Samarkand on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit, which concluded last week, and during the meeting Modi told the Russian president, “Today’s era is not an era of war, and I have spoken to you on the phone about this.” On his part, Putin told Modi that he was aware of India’s concerns over the Ukraine conflict and that Russia will do everything possible to end it as soon as possible.

The US has said that it is heartened by the comments made by Prime Minister Modi.

“We were heartened by Prime Minister Modi’s comments last weekend,” Dr Ely Ratner, Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs told a group of reporters and think-tank experts during a virtual round table.

Recently, US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan also told reporters at a White House news conference that what the prime minister said was “a statement of principle on behalf of what he believes is right and just (and) it was very much welcomed by the US.” Ratner said that US shares India’s commitment to seeing a swift and peaceful resolution of the conflict and continue to engage regularly on this issue.

“We obviously recognise that India has a long and complicated history in terms of its security partnership with Russia and has been in the process over the last many years of diversifying its arms and imports as well as prioritising its own indigenous development, and we want to support them,” Ratner said.

“We want to support India on both fronts and are doing so. We think the trend lines are heading in the right direction. We are deeply engaged in conversations on exploring opportunities for co-development and coproduction. We are also looking for ways to support India’s own indigenisation which we know is a huge priority for Prime Minister Modi and in the military there,” said the senior Pentagon official.

Responding to another question, he said the US is taking a hard look at the co-development and coproduction under Defense Trade and Technology Initiative (DTTI).

“We are taking a hard look now at DTTI more broadly and actively discussing with the Indian government how we can adapt the initiative to meet the scope and ambition of our defense partnership. This is an area where we see a lot of great promise. Our leaders are fairly focused on this and again the Two Plus Two ministerial next spring are hoping to have some progress to announce on this front,” he said.

Responding to another question, Ratner said that recent US action with Pakistan on F -6 is not designed as a message to India as it relates to its relationship with Russia.

“The decision inside the US government around the F-16 issue was made predicated on US interests associated with our defense partnership with Pakistan which is primarily focused on counterterrorism and nuclear security and as the (Defense) Secretary made clear to (Defense) Minister Rajnath) Singh during their call last week, this case did not include any upgrades or munitions,” he said.

“We have been engaging with our Indian counterparts, both in advance of the announcement to preview it and during my visit with Assistant Secretary Lew in Delhi as well. So we thought it was quite important to be as transparent as we could with Indian counterparts both in advance and during that decision and it provided a good opportunity to have a healthy exchange on both the US rationale for its limited security partnership with Pakistan as well as a good opportunity to hear India’s concerns about that,” Ratner said. PTI