Indo-pacific Cooperation

India, ISA sign agreement for solar projects in four Indo-Pacific countries

A Project Implementation Agreement has been signed between the Ministry of External Affairs and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) to execute new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles, an official statement said. The agreement was signed on Tuesday, the statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said. The Wilmington Declaration released at the Quad Leaders' Summit in Delaware in the US on September 21 stated that the Quad countries will work together, through policy and public finance, to operationalise their commitment to catalyse complementary and high-standard private sector investment in allied and partner clean energy supply chains, it said. "To this end, India has committed to invest USD 2 million in new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar and Seychelles," it added. On November 26, the Project Implementation Agreement (PIA) was signed between the MEA and the ISA to execute the projects in these Indo-Pacific countries. The ISA,

India has effective mechanism to monitor oceans, says Navy chief Tripathi

India has a highly effective mechanism for monitoring the oceans, known as maritime domain awareness, and is fully aware of "who is where and who is doing what" to ensure the country's interests are not compromised, Chief of Naval Staff, Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi has said. The Navy Chief also dismissed the dual carrier operation by China in the South China Sea as "nothing we should be concerned of ". Addressing the media after the grand finale of THINQ 2024, a nationwide quiz competition organised by the Indian Navy on Friday evening, Tripathi also said India keeps a "close watch" on activities in its "area of interest". He made these remarks at the Ezhimala Naval Academy here in response to a question on China's growing influence in the region through its cooperation with Sri Lanka. "What China does in any part of the globe, let them do it. What they do in our area of interest, we are keeping a close watch. Nothing happens in our part of the world which we do not know," CNS added.

Need collaborations in areas of strength for IPEF's full potential: Goyal

Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday said the full potential of the IPEF can only be achieved if partner countries contribute their strengths, such as technology, investment, market potential and skilled workforce, to address supply chain challenges. The ministry said this in a virtual meeting of IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity) ministers. Goyal also said that healthcare, including pharmaceuticals and medical devices, is an "extremely" relevant area due to over concentration of global production of APIs and Key Starting Materials which can severely impair supply chain resilience and impact our capacity to address the healthcare needs of our economies. Besides, the multimodal transport systems, upgrades of logistics infrastructure, enhanced technological interoperability and data flows among freight and logistics enterprises, are some of the key areas which need to be focused upon, he said. He "emphasised that the full potential of IPEF can onl

Next meeting of IPEF's Supply Chain Council in Dec: Commerce ministry

The next meeting of the Supply Chain Council, set up under an agreement of the 14-member IPEF, will be held in December, the commerce ministry said on Monday. The IPEF (Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity) bloc was launched jointly by the US and other partner countries of the Indo-Pacific region on May 23, 2022, in Tokyo. Together, they account for 40 per cent of the world's economic output and 28 per cent of trade. The framework is structured around four pillars relating to trade, supply chains, clean economy and fair economy. India has joined all the pillars except the trade. Australia, Brunei Darussalam, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, the US, and Vietnam are members of the bloc. The Supply Chain Resilience Agreement came into effect on February 24. It seeks to strengthen supply chains through engagement among the partner countries. Under this agreement, three institutional bodies have be

China blows hot, cold over Quad summit; calls it US tool against Beijing

China on Monday termed Quad as a tool used by the US to contain Beijing, asserting that interference by any external force will not shake its determination to uphold its "sovereignty and maritime rights" in the disputed South and East China Seas. The Quad, identified as the premier regional grouping in the US Indo-Pacific strategy, is a tool used by Washington to contain China to perpetuate its hegemony, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a media briefing, fielding a spate of questions on the Quad summit. Hosted by President Joe Biden, the Quad Summit took place on Saturday in his hometown Wilmington, Delaware. The summit was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan. Lin accused the US of pooling together countries to muster military and security cooperation under the pretext of maritime issues to contain China by peddling the China threat narrative. The US says Qaud doesn't targe

US President Biden fumbles again while introducing PM Modi at Quad event

In yet another gaffe, US President Joe Biden experienced an embarrassing moment during a Quad event in Wilmington, Delaware, when he struggled to introduce Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This brief confusion, captured on camera, has sparked comments on social media. After finishing his speech at the Cancer Moonshot event on Saturday, Biden, 81, appeared to have forgotten the name of the next leader who was going to speak -- and asked his staffers. "So, I want to thank you all for being here. And now, who am I introducing next?" After a pause of a few seconds, he asked, this time in a louder voice, Who's next?" There was an awkward silence in the audience. A staff member finally pointed to the podium, leading to the introduction of Modi by the compere. Distinguished guests, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, the announcer said, as Modi walked towards the podium. Biden then put his arm around Modi's shoulder and cracked a joke. The embarrassing moment involving the US ...

India announces $500,000 Quad scholarship for Indo-Pacific students

India has announced a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth USD 500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific. These scholarships will enable students to pursue a four-year undergraduate engineering programme at a Government of India-funded technical institution, said the Wilmington Declaration issued after the fourth in-person Quad Summit. Hosted by President Joe Biden, the Quad Leaders' Summit took place on Saturday in his hometown Wilmington, Delaware. It was attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan. "India is pleased to announce a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth USD 500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a 4-year undergraduate engineering programme at a Government of India-funded technical institution," the declaration read. According to the declaration, the Quad is committed to strengthening the deep and enduring ties between our people, a

Quad summits from 2021 virtual meeting to Wilmington in 2024: A timeline

Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Philadelphia Saturday to begin his three-day US trip with the Quad Leaders' Summit being held in Wilmington, Delaware. The Quad Leaders' Summit this year was earlier supposed to be held in India, but US President Joe Biden was keen to hold the event in his hometown. This will be a farewell summit for both Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida as they near the end of their terms in office -- January 20, 2025 for the US president and Oct 1 for Japanese prime minister. The fourth leader attending the meeting is Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Here's a look at previous summits. -- May 20, 2023 (Hiroshima, Japan) Format: In-person Attending leaders: PM Albanese, PM Modi, PM Kishida, and President Biden Notes: Australia was the host of the summit for the year, and was supposed to hold the summit in Sydney just after the G7 Hiroshima Summit. However, President Biden postponed his trip to Australia and Papua New Guinea at th

Quad has emerged as key group to work for peace in Indo-Pacific: PM Modi

PM Modi will take part in the sixth Quad Leaders' Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, which is being hosted by US President

Quad leaders to unveil milestone initiative to combat cancer during summit

Top Quad leaders will unveil a "milestone" initiative on Saturday to prevent, detect, treat and alleviate the impact of cancer on patients and their families, when they gather in Wilmington in the US for their annual summit. Being hosted by US President Joe Biden, the "Quad Leaders Summit" will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, his Australian counterpart Anthony Albanese and Japan's Fumio Kishida. The leaders are expected to deliberate on pressing global challenges, including the Russia-Ukraine conflict, escalating tensions in West Asia and the overall situation in the Indo-Pacific. At a media briefing on Modi's visit to the United States from September 21-23, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the "signature" "Cancer Moonshot" event will take place on the sidelines of the Quad summit in Wilmington, Delaware. "One of the signature initiatives to be unveiled on the sidelines is the Cancer Moonshot event," he said. "Through this milestone initiative, the Quad aims to ...

PM Modi's visit to Brunei and Singapore: What is India's Act East Policy?

India's Act East Policy focuses on building ties with Asean countries to promote peace, economic collaboration, and cultural ties while also acting as a counterweight to China's growing influence

US, Japan, and South Korea boost ties, ink security cooperation treaty

Kihara, Austin and Shin had agreed to institutionalize trilateral security cooperation when they last met in June in Singapore

India, France to launch climate fund for startups in Indo-Pacific countries

Two nations agreed to set up the fund after Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to France for Bastille Day celebrations last year

Indo-Pacific to ensure US-India partnership supports allies: Lloyd Austin

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has told lawmakers that by bolstering the Indian military's capabilities, the nations can work together to uphold a more stable balance of power across the wider Indo-Pacific. He also told members of the Senate Armed Services Committee during a Congressional hearing this week on the annual budget of the Department of Defense that the militaries of the US and India are accelerating operational activities to boost maritime security in the Indian Ocean. "By bolstering the Indian military's capabilities, we can work together to uphold a more stable balance of power across the wider Indo-Pacific," Austin said and added that "with this budget request, we are beginning a new chapter in US-India relations under our Major Defense Partnership". The defense secretary said, "Our militaries are accelerating joint exercises, information-sharing and other operational activities to boost maritime security in the Indian Ocean." "We are committed to ensuring that th

Maldives key partner in ensuring free & secure Indo-Pacific region: US

Describing the Maldives as a key partner in ensuring a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region, the United States on Thursday said it is committed to strengthening cooperation with the South Asian island nation. US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Donald Lu was in the Maldives recently for talks with its new leadership and the civil society. "The United States is committed to strengthening cooperation with Maldives, a key partner in ensuring a free, open, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region," a State Department spokesperson told PTI when asked about the assistant secretary's visit from January 29-31. While in Mal, Lu met with Mohamed Muizzu and other senior officials to discuss shared priorities, including defense cooperation, economic growth, and democratic governance. "They also discussed progress on establishing the US Embassy in Maldives that will further strengthen our partnership and people-to-people ties," the spokesperson said.

Upto India to 'forcefully define' Quad partnership, says US envoy Garcetti

US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti said India is in the driving seat of the Quad, while America is in the seat next to it with the corrective steering wheel, and added that it is up to India to "forcefully define" the nature of the diplomatic partnership. Garcetti, speaking here at the 17th edition of Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF), used a rather unique analogy of 'eating, drinking and sharing a ride together' to explain the different roles of member countries in the Quad. The Quad is a diplomatic partnership between India, the US, Australia, and Japan to deepen economic, diplomatic, and military ties among the four countries. "India is very much in the driver seat of the Quad... may be America is in the next seat with the corrective steering wheel, I think Japan has been an avid navigator from the beginning and Australia is really excited to be back in the car and asking if everybody has enough to drink and eat, and where we are going. "So it is a great time and we love these

US announces key pact on supply chain resilience under Indo-Pacific

The US on Thursday announced that a key agreement on supply chain resilience under the Indo-Pacific economic framework involving 14 partner nations, including India, Japan and Australia, will come into force on February 24. US Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo said the pact will facilitate a collaborative approach to strengthen supply chains and prevent potential disruptions. The US Department of Commerce said the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework for Prosperity (IPEF) agreement relating to supply chain resilience will enter into force on February 24. "This is a critical step in bringing the landmark, first-of-its kind agreement into action and promoting coordination among the IPEF partners on building resilient, efficient, productive, sustainable, transparent, diversified, secure, fair, and inclusive supply chains," it said.

Support to Pacific nations with policing shouldn't alarm Australia: China

China's ambassador to Australia, Xiao Qian, sought to reassure on Wednesday that China's increased involvement in the Pacific, particularly in policing efforts, should not be a cause of alarm for Australia. Xiao, speaking at his first news conference of the year in Canberra on Wednesday, maintained that Australia should not harbour anxiety about China's intentions in the region. Pacific Islands countries is an area where China and Australia can cooperate and can contribute together instead of asking them to choose between the two," Xiao said. What China has been doing is to help them to for their social stability, economic development and for bilateral trade relations." Concerns of China's encroachment in the South Pacific had escalated last year when the Solomon Islands signed a security pact with China, raising fears of a military buildup in the region. We're not seeking military strategies, we're not seeking military purposes, and there's no need for any so-called anxiety on the

Trust between partners helping in efforts to secure free Indo-Pacific: EAM

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday said in this complicated world, it is the trust between like-minded partners such as India and Australia that is helping in efforts to secure a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region along with a rules-based international order. In his virtual address at the sixth edition of the Australia-India Leadership Dialogue (AILD), Jaishankar said a driving force of the relationship is the convergence in understanding of, and approach to, the geo-strategic environment, particularly in the common Indo-Pacific region. The AILD has quite aptly used the phrase 'Bridges of Bharosa (trust)' as one of its themes, he noted. "In this complicated world, it is the bharosa or trust between like-minded partners such as India and Australia, along with others, that is helping us in our efforts to secure a free, open, peaceful and prosperous Indo-Pacific region along with a rules-based international order," Jaishankar said. His remarks come a

IPEF trade pillar: India doubts benefits amid SE Asian scepticism

India did not join the trade pillar because the government didn't know what commitments New Delhi may have to make, and there was no clarity on the details