US and India "Strengthen Consultations through Quad"

Held 2+2 Working-Level Talks... Quad Countries' Ministerial Meeting Expected Within the Year

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] The U.S. Department of Defense announced on the 11th (local time) that it has agreed to strengthen consultations through the four-country 'Quad' consisting of India, the U.S., Australia, and Japan.

The U.S. Department of Defense disclosed in a press release that Dean Thompson, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, and David Helvey, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security, held a virtual working-level meeting on the same day in preparation for the scheduled 2+2 ministerial talks between the two countries later this year.

The United States emphasized the importance of India's status as a 'major defense partner,' and both sides discussed issues such as the response to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), counterterrorism, and India's membership in the United Nations Security Council.

Through this meeting, both sides agreed to strengthen consultations through the four-party consultative body of the U.S., India, Australia, and Japan.

The United States is enhancing cooperation with Indo-Pacific countries to counter China, which is expanding its presence in the South China Sea. Steven Biegun, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, recently stated that there is no NATO-level cooperative body in the Indo-Pacific region and that starting with the four-party cooperation body 'Quad' consisting of the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India could be very important.

In this regard, the possibility of launching a 'Quad Plus' including South Korea, New Zealand, and Vietnam is also being raised.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.