'Quad partners strong supporters of ASEAN centrality', says Australia ahead of meeting

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on Thursday said that "Quad partners are strong supporters of ASEAN centrality within a region in which all countries are sovereign, independent, and resilient". The statement comes ahead of Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting on February 18. Quad, which stands for Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a grouping of four nations - Australia, Japan, India, and the United States. 

Read: 'Reiterated Our Commitment': PM Modi Speaks To Australian PM Morrison Ahead Of Quad Meet

"The Quad is a key pillar of Australia’s international agenda and complements our other bilateral, regional and multilateral engagement, including with ASEAN," read a press release from the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. ASEAN is a regional intergovernmental organisation comprising of ten Southeast Asian countries and India, Australia, Japan, the US as summit-lever partners. 

Read: 'India Is A Critical Partner', Says Pentagon Ahead Of Third Quad Security Dialogue

Today's Quad dialogue is meant to advance the mutual interests of the four countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The foreign ministers of Australia, Japan, India, and the United States are expected to discuss a range of issues, including ways to recover from the financial and health impacts of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The dialogue is a continuation of the last Quad meeting held in Tokyo in October 2020, where ministers of the four democracies met in person to discuss global and regional issues. 

Read: Third Quad Security Dialogue To Be Held Today; Biden Govt May Weigh In On Indo-Pacific

PM Modi speaks to Scott Morrison

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Australian counterpart, Scott Morrison on Thursday ahead of the Quad dialogue. PM Modi and Australian PM ‘discussed regional issues’ that concern both nations. Prime Minister, in a statement shared on Twitter, said that he is ‘looking forward’ to work with Morrison for peace and prosperity in the region.

Meanwhile, the United States’ Pentagon Press Secretary called India a “critical partner” especially while considering all challenges surrounding the Indo-Pacific region. US State Department spokesperson said, “these discussions with the Quad foreign ministers are critical to advancing our shared goals of a free and open Indo-Pacific and rising to the defining challenges of our times.”

Read: 'Advancing Shared Goals': Biden Announces Renewed Quad Talks Neglecting Threats From China