India in driver seat: US envoy Eric Garcetti on Quad
What's the story
United States (US) Ambassador to India, Eric Garcetti, said on Sunday that India has attained a central role in the Quad alliance, which also includes Australia and Japan. Speaking at the 17th Jaipur Literature Festival, Garcetti likened the Quad to a car ride, with India in the driver's seat and the US holding the "corrective steering wheel," PTI reported. The Quad grouping was formed to strengthen economic, diplomatic, and military ties among its member nations in the Indo-Pacific region.
Analogy
Garcetti's analogy for Quad members
In the unique analogy, Garcetti explained each member country's role in the Quad. "I think Japan has been an avid navigator from the beginning and Australia is excited to be back in the car and asking if everybody has enough to drink and eat," he said. "But it is in some ways up to India to most forcefully define what we want to do with the Quad," Garcetti added.
Praise
Quad model for global diplomacy: Garcetti
The US envoy said that the Quad can serve as a "model for the world," as it is more stable than multilateral institutions like the United Nations (UN). Garcetti noted that while bilateral relationships can become dull, having four countries involved in the Quad makes it more engaging. Although the Quad members don't always agree on every issue, he insisted that it's not just a "talk shop."
Comments
Progress since Quad's inception
Former Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who also participated in the panel discussion at the festival, encouraged people to recognize the progress made by the Quad since its inception in 2007. He described it as a case of "same bed, different dreams," with shared goals among member countries. Turnbull stressed that the Quad members can unite to defend freedom, sovereignty, and democracy. The alliance was revived in 2017 after a 10-year hiatus due to China's growing assertiveness.
About
What is Quad
The Quad or the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QSD), is an informal strategic forum that includes four countries: the US, India, Australia, and Japan. One of its key goals is to work toward a free, open, prosperous, and inclusive Indo-Pacific region. In 2007, ex-Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe proposed the establishment of Quad for the first time. The group initially convened in 2007 on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), followed by a series of regular sessions.