Page 8 - The Indian EYE 031221

NATION MARCH 12, 2021 | The Indian Eye 8

frOm afghanistan tO indO-Pacific,

Biden set tO engage with india

The leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue to hold a teleconference as early as mid-

March, with focus on growing influence of China

Our Bureau gion. Biden has spoken to each
leader individually, but putting
New Delhi them together gives an early

S State Secretary Ant- boost to the burgeoning group,
ony Blinken has written which some have suggested
Uto Afghan President could grow into an Asian version
Ashraf Ghani proposing a United of North Atlantic Treaty Organi-
Nations-facilitated peace confer- zation (NATO), Axios reported.
ence with representatives of six Earlier in February, Biden
countries including India to dis- had spoken to Prime Minister Na-
cuss a “unified approach to sup- United States Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad rendra Modi, in which the White
porting peace in Afghanistan”. and Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Taliban group’s top political leader sign- House said the leaders would
In the letter sent to Ghani on ing a peace agreement between Taliban and U.S., in Doha last year (ANI) work toward “a stronger regional
Sunday, Blinken said that Turkey architecture through the Quad.”
will be approached to host a se- Last month, Secretary of
nior-level meeting of both sides State Antony Blinken joined a
in the coming weeks to finalise virtual summit of Quad foreign
a peace agreement. According ministers. They offered a veiled
to the letter published by TOLO criticism of China by pledging “to
News, the UN should convene strongly oppose unilateral and
a meeting of foreign ministers forceful attempts to change the
and envoys from Russia, China, status quo in the context of the
Pakistan, Iran, India and the US East and the South China Sea.”
to discuss a unified approach to External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar at QUAD Ministerial Consulta- Meanwhile, the White House
supporting peace in Afghanistan. tions, in Tokyo (ANI) declined to confirm the upcom-
It further said that US envoy ing meeting.
Zalmay Khalilzad should share this letter,” he added. Joe Biden, Australian Prime The Quad, a security dia-
with President Ghani and the Last year in February, then Minister Scott Morrison and logue among four of the region’s
Taliban leaders written propos- US President Donald Trump and Indian Prime Minister Naren- biggest democracies, was first es-
als “aimed at accelerating discus- the Taliban had signed an agree- dra Modi are also expected to tablished in 2007. It quickly lost
sions on a negotiated settlement ment that calls for a full US with- discuss the fair distribution of its lustre, in part because Austra-
and ceasefire. These proposals drawal from Afghanistan if the COVID-19 vaccines and efforts lia and India were reluctant to
reflect some of the ideas includ- terror group upholds counter- to tackle climate change, the take any action that might antag-
ed in the roadmap for the peace terrorism commitments such as sources said. It would be the first onize China.
process”. denying safe haven to al Qaeda. summit involving members of The Trump administration
While concluding his letter, Since the deal was signed, the Quad, a framework that was ini- embraced the Quad concept, as
Blinken said, “We are consid- Taliban has stepped up attacks tially formed in response to the the four countries grew more
ering the full withdrawal of our against Afghan forces, which 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake comfortable coordinating their
forces by May 1, as we consider US officials have repeatedly and tsunami but now mainly fo- security postures and more con-
other option”. condemned as threatening the cuses on regional security, the cerned about China’s rise.
“Even with the continuation peace process. report said. One month before the 2020
of financial assistance from the In another important de- The US President had spo- election, then-Secretary of State
United States to your forces af- velopment, the leaders of the ken to PM Narendra Modi in Mike Pompeo flew to a summit
ter an American military with- Quadrilateral Security Dialogue February in which the White in South Korea to rail against
drawal, I am concerned that the (Quad) countries -- Japan, Unit- House said the leaders would China’s “exploitation, corruption
security situation will worsen and ed States, Australia and India work toward “a stronger regional and coercion,” reported Axios.
that the Taliban could make rap- -- plan to hold a teleconference architecture through the Quad.” Earlier, President Obama
id territorial gains,” he said. as early as mid-March, Kyodo By putting a Quad meeting implemented the “Pivot to
“I am making this clear to News reported citing sources as on the president’s schedule, the Asia,” complementing the Unit-
you so that you understand the saying on Friday (local time). White House is signalling the ed States’ traditional focus on
urgency of my tone regarding Japanese Prime Minister importance of partnerships and European alliances with new
the collective work outlined in Yoshihide Suga, US President alliances in the Indo-Pacific re- ones in the Pacific region.

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