Australia, India say US election result won’t impact Quad group
Australian and Indian Foreign Ministers expressed strong confidence on Tuesday that the Quad, the strategic partnership between the U.S., India, Australia, and Japan, would continue to thrive regardless of the outcome of the U.S. presidential election. Speaking at a joint press briefing in Canberra, Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar emphasized their commitment to maintaining the Quad’s role in ensuring stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Wong, who recently met with Mike Pompeo, former U.S. Secretary of State under the Trump administration, said the talks were “very good” and focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation, particularly regarding AUKUS, the defense pact between Australia, the U.S., and the U.K. Under AUKUS, Australia is set to receive nuclear-powered submarines, a deal which has become Australia’s most expensive defense project.
“One of the priorities for us to discuss was AUKUS, and we are very pleased at the sort of bipartisan support that we have seen,” Wong stated. Despite the uncertainty of the upcoming U.S. election, she reaffirmed that Australia would work with whichever candidate the American people choose. “In terms of the U.S. election, we will work with whomever the American people choose,” she said.
The Quad, formed to enhance regional cooperation among like-minded democracies, has been a key player in promoting security and stability across the Indo-Pacific, an area of growing geopolitical importance. China has voiced opposition to the group, characterizing it as an effort to contain its influence in the region, a claim that the Quad nations have consistently denied, emphasizing their shared values of democracy and peaceful cooperation.
Jaishankar echoed Wong’s sentiments, stressing the Quad’s critical role and its future regardless of U.S. political changes. “When we look at the American election, we are very confident that whatever the verdict, our relationship with the United States will only grow,” he said, during his official visit to Australia. Jaishankar also reminded reporters that the Quad’s revival in 2017 occurred under the Trump administration, highlighting the enduring bipartisan support for the initiative.
In a further demonstration of Quad solidarity, leaders of the group agreed in September to launch joint coast guard patrols and expand military logistics cooperation. These steps are seen as critical in ensuring the region’s security amidst rising tensions, particularly in the South China Sea.
“The Quad is very valuable in the region. We see it retaining its importance regardless of the outcome of the election,” Wong concluded, underlining the group’s ongoing significance for peace and security in the Indo-Pacific.
