“We are committed to countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations”: Quad Foreign Ministers in New York

NEW YORK: The Quad nations, which includes the US, India, Japan and Australia, on Friday reaffirmed their commitment to counter terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including the “cross-border movement of terrorists and countering terror finance networks and safe havens.”

“We are committed to countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including preventing the international and cross-border movement of terrorists and countering terror finance networks and safe havens. We stressed the need for a comprehensive and balanced approach to effectively curb terrorist activities through the whole of nation and whole of international community efforts,” Quad nations said in an official joint statement.

Foreign ministers of the four-nation bloc — External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Yōko Kamikawa — met here on the margins of the high-level 78th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) for the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting.

Addressing the issue of forceful coercion of territories, the leaders also emphasised the resolution of international issues peacefully and in accordance with international law and called for addressing the challenges in the “South and East China Seas,” in a veiled attack on China.

The Joint statement said, “We reaffirm our conviction that international law, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the maintenance of peace and security in the maritime domain underpin the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific. We emphasise that disputes should be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law, without threat or use of force.”

Quad nations further added, “We emphasize the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to address challenges to the global maritime rules-based order, including with respect to maritime claims, and in the South and East China Seas.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy also made his first in-person appearance at the UNGA, since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of his nation in February 2022.

Zelenskyy, while accusing Moscow of being the aggressor and perpetrating “genocide” in his homeland claimed that Ukrainian children in Russia were being taught to “hate” their homeland, adding that all ties that Ukraine nationals have with their family members back home were being snapped.

In another scathing attack on Russia, he said that “terrorists have no right to hold nuclear weapons”. He also called upon the countries to “strip” Moscow of veto power at the UN Security Council.

On February 24, 2022, Russia invaded Ukraine in an escalation of the Russo-Ukrainian War which began in 2014. The invasion has killed tens of thousands on both sides. Russian forces have been accused of mass civilian casualties and of torturing captured Ukrainian soldiers.

After the meeting, US State Secretary Antony Blinken said the Quad ministers reaffirmed the alliance’s commitment to uphold the purposes and principles of the UN Charter.

Taking to X, Blinken said, “Good to join my fellow Quad foreign ministers from Australia, India, and Japan on the sidelines of #UNGA78. The Quad is vital to our shared vision for a #FreeAndOpenIndoPacific, and together we reaffirmed our commitment to uphold the purposes and principles of the @UN Charter.”

The meeting came when tensions between India and Canada were rising.

Recently, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau during a debate in the Canadian Parliament claimed his country’s national security officials had reasons to believe that “agents of the Indian government” carried out the killing of the Canadian citizen, who also served as the president of Surrey’s Guru Nanak Sikh Gurdwara.

The allegations made by the Canadian Prime Minister were rejected by the Ministry of External Affairs in India which dubbed the statements as “absurd” and “motivated”.

“We have seen and rejected the statement of the Canadian Prime Minister in their Parliament, as well as the statement by their Foreign Minister. Allegations of the Government of India’s involvement in any act of violence in Canada are absurd and motivated” the statement said.

Hardeep Singh Nijjar, the chief of Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) – a Sikh extremist organisation banned by India and a “designated terrorist” was killed in a targeted shooting at British Columbia in Canada’s Surrey in June 2018.