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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline FEBRUARY 16, 2024 | The Indian Eye 28
India in driver seat of Quad,
says US Ambassador Eric Garcetti
on Saturday in a session, “Heart of
OUR BUREAU
the Matter: Quad and the new In-
Jaipur do-Pacific Vision”.
Quad can be the “model for
S Ambassador to India Eric the world” as it is “very strong and
Garcetti said India is in the
U“driving seat” of the Quad, stable”, not just in geometry but in
diplomacy as well – more than mul-
while America is in the seat next to it tilateral institutions such as the UN,
with the “corrective steering wheel”, which he claimed “don’t have much
and added that it is up to India to efficacy”.
“forcefully define” the nature of the “Bilaterals are always engag-
diplomatic partnership.
ing but the two countries get a little
bored of each other when it is just di-
Garcetti, speaking here at the rect,” he added.
Garcetti used another analogy to
17th edition of Jaipur Litera- explain his point better. “It is like a
ture Festival (JLF), used a rather dinner party, invite three people, it
unique analogy of ‘eating, drink- gets more interesting, four people,
now you have a party, when others
ing and sharing a ride together’ want to come to the party... now you
to explain the different roles of know you have got something spe-
cial,” he explained.
member countries in the Quad. Though he admitted that the
Quad is not a group where the four
The Quad is a diplomatic part- member countries agree on every
nership between India, the US, vote in multilateral institutions,
Australia, and Japan to deepen eco- Garcetti asserted it is not a “talk
nomic, diplomatic, and military ties shop” either.
among the four countries. The Quad group, was reinstat-
“India is very much in the driver ed in 2017 after a gap of 10 years.
seat of the Quad... may be America It remained inactive due to protests
is in the next seat with the corrective from China. The JLF 2024, touted
steering wheel, I think Japan has if everybody has enough to drink and the back some other time and relax, to be the “biggest literary festival in
been an avid navigator from the be- eat, and where we are going. but it is in some ways up to India to the world”, will see participation of
ginning and Australia is really excit- “So it is a great time and we love most forcefully define what we want the world’s best thinkers, writers, and
ed to be back in the car and asking these different roles. I want to sit in to do with the Quad,” said Garcetti speakers till February 5.
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