Quad is in extremely good shape: Australian High Commissioner Philip Green
By Sahil Pandey, New Delhi, July 28
Noting that Quad is in "extremely good shape," Australian High Commissioner to India Philip Green on Tuesday said there is a strong sense of alignment and trust among the four countries of the grouping and indicated that more meetings of foreign ministers are expected later this year.
Speaking at an ORF event, Green referred to the recent Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila and said it followed two such meetings last year as well as another held in New Delhi three months ago.
"The Quad is in extremely good shape. A meeting was held just a couple of days ago in Manila of the Foreign Ministers. That followed two meetings last year and the meeting that I was privileged to attend three months ago here in Delhi. The sense of alignment between the four Foreign Ministers is very strong, and if I read the room right in Delhi, the sense of trust between them is very strong," he said.
"I think you should anticipate more meetings of Foreign Ministers this year of the Quad. Those four want to get together at least once between now and the end of the year," he added.
Highlighting India's growing importance in Australia's economic security strategy, Green said New Delhi has become an increasingly significant partner in ensuring resilient supply chains and energy security.
"India is a very important player for Australia's economic security future. I have already spoken about how important India is and will continue to be for Australian energy," he said.
Green said recent geopolitical developments underscored India's strategic value.
"I think it's a reality that many of us didn't know quite how important India was for Australia's energy supplies until the Strait of Hormuz was threatened," he said.
Referring to supply chain diversification, he said Australia sees India as a trusted partner across key sectors.
"Whether it is electric motors and electric vehicles, or legacy chips, or solar panels, we see India as a natural source of diversification for us, and a country in which we have growing strategic trust," he said.
On the India- Australia uranium deal , Green said the government-level framework has now been completed and the next phase will be driven by commercial decisions.
"Australia signed a nuclear safeguards agreement. (Till) then we had not settled the underlying framework for the deal. What has occurred now is that the administrative framework is signed and done. The actual sales of uranium will be a matter for our commercial sector. The government framework is now done," he said.
Speaking about cooperation involving Australia, Canada and India in emerging technologies, Green said the three countries are prepared to deepen collaboration in areas such as critical minerals and critical technologies.
"We want to work more closely in fields like critical minerals and critical technologies. We are now ready to go forward with the three of us in those fields. India is becoming more consequential among a range of players. We are very pleased in bringing the three of our countries together," he said.
On defence ties, the Australian envoy said the recently announced joint declaration reflects the growing strategic partnership between Canberra and New Delhi.
"The joint declaration brings it all together on the security side and demonstrates that India is now a top-tier defence and security partner for Australia," Green said.
He added that maritime cooperation remains the cornerstone of bilateral defence engagement.
"I've been saying the maritime domain is perhaps the most important between Australia and India in the defence and security sphere," he said.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The mention of supply chain diversification is crucial. After COVID and the Ukraine crisis, we saw how vulnerable global chains are. India as a manufacturing hub for EVs and solar panels makes strategic sense. Hope this leads to more jobs here.
Quad is indeed in good shape, but what about the Indo-Pacific region's smaller nations? They keep talking about maritime cooperation but need concrete steps on piracy, disaster relief, and freedom of navigation. Actions speak louder than words.
Interesting that Australia is ready to collaborate with Canada and India on critical minerals. But we must be careful - Canada's recent actions regarding Khalistan extremists have been troubling. Trust needs to be earned on all sides.
Finally some clarity on the uranium deal! 🎉 Been hearing about this for years. But commercial decisions are tricky - hope Australian companies don't set unreasonable terms. India needs reliable nuclear fuel for our clean energy goals.
One concern: Quad is good, but it shouldn't become an anti-China bloc. India has always advocated for strategic autonomy. We can work with Australia and US on specific issues while maintaining independent foreign policy. That's true Indian diplomacy.
The maritime cooperation focus is smart. Indian
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