Hanoi (VNA) – The United States, Japan, India and Australia haveagreed to promote a free, open, rules-based and inclusive Indo-Pacific region that fosters trust and confidence.
The four reached the consensus at the third security dialogue within the framework of theQuad on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Singapore on November 15. Theevent saw the participation of senior foreign ministry officials of the fourcountries to discuss regional and global issues of shared concern.
According to the Indian Foreign Ministry’s statement, the discussions focusedon cooperation in areas such as connectivity, sustainable development,anti-terrorism, non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, maritime and cybersecurity with a view to promoting peace, stability and prosperity in anincreasingly inter-connected Indo-Pacific region.
The participants reaffirmed the centrality of the Association of SoutheastAsian Nations (ASEAN) as the cornerstone of a free, open and inclusiveIndo-Pacific region.
This was the third meeting of the Quad after the first was held in thePhilippines in November 2017 and the second in Singapore in June 2018. - VNA