A bipartisan group of U.S. Senators and members of the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday (September 21, 2024) announced the formation of a caucus to promote the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), a group comprised of India, the U.S., Australia and Japan, on the eve of a summit-level meeting of the group’s leaders in Wilmington.
The caucus was launched on Friday by Democrat Representative Ami Bera, Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Indo-Pacific Subcommittee, Representative Rob Wittman (Republican) and U.S. Senators Tammy Duckworth (Democrat) and Pete Ricketts (Republican), who are both members of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
It was essential for the U.S. to strengthen its relationship with Quad countries, Mr. Bera said, given the growing importance of the Indo-Pacific region.
Making a veiled reference to China, Mr. Ricketts said groups like the Quad were the “greatest strength against coercion and malign aggression”.
The White House had said that China would be an important part of the agenda when U.S. President Joe Biden hosts Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for talks on Saturday.
“Together, we’re sending a strong message to our allies and partners — and our competitors — that the United States is here for the long haul,” Ms. Duckworth said in a statement to mark the launch of the congressional caucus.
The Quad has been supported across administrations; it was revived at the Foreign Minister level during the Donald Trump presidency.
Published – September 21, 2024 07:31 am IST
