Quad launches infrastructure partnership, fellowship programme

Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japan's Toshimitsu Motegi, Australia's Marise Payne and then-U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, pose for a picture before the Quad ministerial meeting, October 6, 2020. [Reuters]

On the sidelines of the Quad Leaders Summit, the group launched an infrastructure partnership and fellowship programme on Friday (local time).

"Building upon each of our regional infrastructure efforts, separately and together, we are launching a new Quad infrastructure partnership," stated the joint statement of the Quad leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in a joint statement said that they will not only deepen cooperation in these critical areas, but we will broaden it to new ones.

"As a Quad, we will meet regularly to coordinate our efforts, map the region's infrastructure needs, and coordinate on regional needs and opportunities. We will cooperate to provide technical assistance, empowering regional partners with evaluative tools, and will promote sustainable infrastructure development," read the statement. Quad countries also supported G7's infrastructure efforts, including with the EU.

"We support the G7's infrastructure efforts, and look forward to cooperating with like-minded partners, including with the EU. We reconfirm the G20 Quality Infrastructure Investment Principles and will re-energize our efforts to provide high-standard infrastructure in the Indo-Pacific. We reaffirm our interest in continuing our engagement with the Blue Dot Network," said the statement.

The leaders further emphasized the importance of supporting open, fair, and transparent lending practices in line with international rules and standards for major creditor countries, including on debt sustainability and accountability, and called on all creditors to adhere to these rules and standards.

On cooperation in cyberspace, the leaders pledged to work together to combat cyber threats, promote resilience, and secure our critical infrastructure.

"In space, we will identify new collaboration opportunities and share satellite data for peaceful purposes such as monitoring climate change, disaster response and preparedness, sustainable uses of oceans and marine resources, and on responding to challenges in shared domains. We will also consult on rules, norms, guidelines and principles for ensuring the sustainable use of outer space," said the statement.

In addition to infrastructure partnership, the Quad countries also began a new chapter of educational and people-to-people cooperation with the inauguration of the Quad Fellowship.

"We are proud to begin a new chapter of educational and people-to-people cooperation as we inaugurate the Quad Fellowship. Stewarded by Schmidt Futures, a philanthropic initiative, and with generous support from Accenture, Blackstone, Boeing, Google, Mastercard, and Western Digital this pilot fellowship program will provide 100 graduate fellowships to leading science, technology, engineering, and mathematics graduate students across our four countries," said the statement.

"Through the Quad Fellowship, our next generation of STEM talent will be prepared to lead the Quad and other like-minded partners towards the innovations that will shape our shared future," it added.