(VOVWORLD) - Quad nations are committed to advancing a comprehensive UN reform agenda through expanding the number of permanent and non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, according to a joint statement following a meeting of Quad foreign ministers in New York on Saturday.
 From left: Prime Minister of Australia Anthony Albanese, US President Joe Biden, Japan’s Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Quad summit in Tokyo on May 24, 2022. (Photo: Kyodo/VNA) |
The Quad, which involves the US, Japan, Australia and India, underlined the need to tackle attempts to unilaterally subvert the international and multilateral system including the UN.
The countries said that the meeeting strengthened the group’s multilateral cooperation in promoting a free, open, inclusive, and sustainable Indo-Pacific region.
The joint statement underscored the Quad's vision for a region where the rules-based international order is upheld, and where the principles of freedom, rule of law, democratic values, peaceful settlement of disputes, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are respected.
The document reiterated that international law, peace, and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.
The Quad strongly opposes any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo or increase tensions in the region and reaffirms its support for ASEAN unity and centrality, ASEAN-led regional architecture, and practical implementation of ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.
The next meeting of the Quad’s Foreign Ministers is expected to be held in person in New Delhi, India, early next year.