Foreign ministers of the Quad grouping on Friday condemned as "inadmissible" Russia's threat to use nuclear weapons in its ongoing conflict against Ukraine and underscored the need for "a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine."
"We continued to discuss our responses to the conflict in Ukraine and the immense human suffering it is causing, and concurred that the use or threat of use of nuclear weapons is inadmissible," read a joint statement by the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad, which groups the United States, Japan, Australia and India.
The statement was released after the meeting of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong who attended the Quad Foreign Ministers Meet in Delhi on the sidelines of Raisina Dialogue 2023.
"We underscored the need for a comprehensive, just and lasting peace in Ukraine in accordance with international law, including the UN Charter. We emphasised that the rules-based international order must respect sovereignty, territorial integrity, transparency and peaceful resolution of disputes," it said.
In February this year Russian President Vladimir Putin had announced a withdrawal of Russia from the New START, a landmark nuclear arms control treaty and threatened to resume nuclear tests. This came on the one year anniversary of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, which is still displaying signs of escalation.
The West also recently announced the supply of more advanced weapons to Ukraine, deepening its involvement in the conflict. In response, Russian President Vladimir Putin has already reinforced Russian positions along the 1,000-km-long frontline in Ukraine.
Risks of a direct confrontation between Russia and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), both nuclear powers, are also on the rise as the war is extended.Earlier today Blinken said allowing Russia to do what it is doing in Ukraine will be a message to aggressors everywhere.
"If we allow Russia to do what it is doing in Ukraine then that's a message to the aggressors everwhere that they may be able to get away with it too," US Secretary of State Blinken said while participating in a panel discussion at the Raisina Dialogue 2023 organised by the Ministry of External Affairs with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF).
On Thursday, Blinken and Jaishankar met on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting had discussions on measures to mitigate the global impacts of Russia's war in Ukraine.
Blinken yesterday briefly met his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on the margins of the G20 ministerial meeting and urged for reversing Moscow's "irreversible decision" and a return to implementing New START (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) nuclear arms reduction treaty.
Meanwhile today, the Quad group joint statement also condemned North Korea's destabilising ballistic missile launches, including the launch of yet another Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on February 18 this year in violation of UN Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs).
"We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula and urge North Korea to comply with its obligations under UNSCRs," added the statement.
The leaders also reconfirmed the necessity of immediate resolution of the abductions issue.
"We stress the importance of addressing the proliferation of nuclear and missile technologies related to North Korea in the region and beyond," added the statement.The Quad joint statement also expressed deep concern over the deteriorating situation in Myanmar. "We emphasise the need for a complete cessation of violence, the release of all those arbitrarily detained, resolutions of issues through dialogue, unhindered humanitarian access and transition to an inclusive, federal democratic system in Myanmar," read the statement.
Quad leaders also reaffirmed their consistent support of the ASEAN-led efforts, including the work of the ASEAN Chair and Office of the Special Envoy, and called for the full implementation of ASEAN's Five-Point Consensus.
"We also encourage the international community to work together in a pragmatic and constructive way towards resolving the crisis in Myanmar," added the statement.ASEAN's "Five-Point Consensus" calls for an immediate end to violence in the country; dialogue among all parties; appointment of a special envoy; humanitarian assistance by ASEAN; and a special envoy's visit to Myanmar to meet with all parties.
They also welcomed the announcement of the first class of Quad Fellows, who will begin their academic pursuits in the United States in August 2023, as well as, looking forward for the next Quad Leaders' Summit being hosted by Australia this year.
( With inputs from ANI )
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