QUAD set to include France as it looks to counter Chinese aggression in

New Delhi: The first tripartite meeting was held between the Foreign Secretaries of India, France and Australia, on Wednesday. Discussions regarding increasing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and the challenges in the sector were held during the meeting. The importance of the meeting increases given the increasing Chinese aggression in this sector. Meanwhile, France had indicated that it was keen on joining the QUAD cooperation between India, Japan, Australia and the United States.

On Wednesday, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Shrungla, French Foreign Secretary François Delattre and Australian Foreign Secretary Frances Adamson attended the meeting. This was the first meeting between the senior diplomatic officials, from these countries, and it was decided that such meetings will be held every year. The Indian foreign ministry announced that discussions were held about facing the economic and military challenges in the Indo-Pacific region and tripartite cooperation. The foreign ministry also clarified that discussions for cooperation during the Coronavirus crisis and the world after the pandemic also were held during the meeting.

Stress was given on ‘Marine Global Commons’ and increasing regional cooperation. Developing the Indo-Pacific sector with peace, security, prosperity and based on the international rules, also featured in the discussions. As per the information given by the sources connected to these discussions, the meeting has attained great military significance, against the background of Chinese aggression on the Line of Actual Control with India and the South China Sea. India, Japan, Australia and the United States have formed QUAD, to stop China. France has established bilateral military cooperation with India and has expressed keenness in joining QAUD. This meeting of the Foreign Secretaries of India, Australia and France was organised as a preparation.

Soon India and Australia will be holding a tripartite meeting with Indonesia. It is being said that moves are on to include allies and partners to form ‘QUAD Plus’. Australia and Japan are making efforts to include the south-east Asian countries in QUAD. Whereas a few days ago, reports had been published that even the United Kingdom and Germany had underlined the importance of the Indo-Pacific sector and had announced joining QUAD to form a big and powerful organisation.