Why the Quad still matters
On July 29, 2024, a follow-up quadrilateral ministerial meeting was held in Tokyo. The Quad gathering of Japanese, American, Australian and Indian foreign ministers was overshadowed in media coverage by the more stimulating US-Japan 2+2 meeting and trilateral meeting of US, Japanese and South Korean defense ministers a day earlier.
Still, in diplomacy, even a meeting for the sake of a meeting can make good political sense. It can be an important tool for not only cultivating personal contacts but also for maintaining the visibility of institutionalized formats.
So what does the Quad do? The Quad is currently focusing its activities mainly in ten areas, namely:
- Addressing health security challenges, including pandemic response and vaccine distribution.
- Promoting initiatives to combat climate change and promote sustainable development.
- Developing infrastructure projects to enhance connectivity and economic growth.
- Enhancing the resilience of semiconductor supply chains.
- Collaborating on critical and emerging technologies like 5G and AI.
- Enhancing cyber resilience and cooperation to counter cyber threats.
- Prioritizing Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) for providing aid and support during natural disasters and emergencies.
- Ensuring the security of maritime routes and combating illegal activities at sea.
- Tackling misinformation and promoting accurate information.
10. Strengthening efforts tocombat terrorism and enhance regional security.
Ukraine war lessons
Notwithstanding friendly Russo-Indian ties, India and its fellow Quad members are learning valuable lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In modern conflicts, hybrid warfare—which combines military attacks with cyberattacks on vital infrastructure
