External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that Quad consisting of the US, Japan, Australia, and India is “very much for real” and has moved “very effectively and well” in the past year.
During a discussion at the Global Technology Summit 2021, Mr Jaishankar said, “Quad is very much for real. It has moved very effectively, well precisely because it’s a very contemporary arrangement. The subjects Quad is looking at are practical subjects that will make a difference.”
He also said that the new grouping between India, Israel, the UAE and US, would be focusing on technology, including green tech, digital and start-ups.
On the activities of the new grouping of India, the US, Israel and the UAE, he said, “that some part of it will be tech-focused, whether in green tech, or digital, or start-ups, as in these areas all four have great strengths.”
Asked by C Raja Mohan, Director at ISAS, National University of Singapore, whether the Quad was an aspirational grouping between India, the US, Australia and Japan, or if it was real, the EAM said that Quad has moved “very effectively and well” in the past year.
“Last year has shown it is very much for real. I think it has moved very, very effectively, and moved well, precisely because it is a very contemporary arrangement. It is loose, it’s a new way of working, not just for us, even for the other three Quad partners; they too were used to a more cumbersome way of working, and if you see the outcomes, these are very practical subjects, whether on vaccines, student’s mobility, looking at start-ups. We have taken a very sensible view of problems of the landscape and how do we find a practical solution,” said Mr Jaishankar.
Source: TREND News Agency