Wilmington (Delaware): Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Saturday convened for the 4th in-person Quad Leaders’ Summit in Wilmington, Delaware. During the meeting, they voiced serious concerns over coercive and intimidating actions in the South China Sea.
In their joint declaration, the leaders of the US, India, Australia, and Japan expressed opposition to attempts aimed at disrupting other nations’ offshore resource exploitation activities. They also reaffirmed that maritime disputes should be settled peacefully and in accordance with international law.
The Quad Wilmington Declaration said, “We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. We continue to express our serious concern about the militarisation of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating manoeuvres in the South China Sea. We condemn the dangerous use of coast guard and maritime militia vessels, including the increasing use of dangerous manoeuvres. We also oppose efforts to disrupt other countries’ offshore resource exploitation activities.We reaffirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, as reflected in UNCLOS”
The leaders strongly affirmed their belief that upholding international law, including respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as ensuring peace, safety, security, and stability in the maritime domain, should remain the highest priority.
The Quad Wilmington Declaration said, “We re-emphasize the universal and unified character of UNCLOS and reaffirm that UNCLOS sets out the legal framework within which all activities in the oceans and the seas must be carried out. We underscore that the 2016 Arbitral Award on the South China Sea is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.”
QUAD Leaders’ Joint Statement: “…We are seriously concerned about the situation in the East and South China Seas. We continue to express our serious concern about the militarization of disputed features, and coercive and intimidating maneuvers in the South China Sea. We condemn… pic.twitter.com/a0o8ef3JI5
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2024
The Quad leaders added that they recommit to working in partnership with Pacific island countries to achieve shared aspirations and address shared challenges.”We remain committed to strengthening cooperation in the Indian Ocean region. We strongly support IORA as the Indian Ocean region’s premier forum for addressing the region’s challenges. We recognize India’s leadership in finalizing the IORA Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (IOIP) and express our support for its implementation. We thank Sri Lanka for its continued leadership as IORA Chair through this year and look forward to India’s assuming the IORA Chair in 2025,” the declaration said.
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