Washington: The United States House of Representatives passed the 'Quad Bill' on Thursday (local time), aiming to establish a working group to enhance cooperation among partner countries. The Quad, also known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, consists of the United States, Japan, Australia, and India. This bill instructs the US State Department to initiate the formation of a working group with Japan, Australia, and India to promote closer collaboration on shared interests and values.
Additionally, it mandates the State Department to present to Congress a strategy for strengthening engagement and cooperation within the Quad. This strategy will encompass various areas such as preparedness for future pandemics, joint development of innovative technologies, and deeper economic engagement and integration, as stated on the US House of Representatives website. Gregory Meeks, the Ranking Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, expressed satisfaction with the bill's significant approval, emphasizing the Quad's crucial role in advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific.
"I am pleased to have shepherded my legislation, the Strengthening the Quad Act, through the House of Representatives with robust bipartisan backing. The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue involving the United States, Japan, Australia, and India has been crucial in promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific, advancing US interests in the region, and enhancing our national security," Meeks remarked in a statement.
"My legislation aims to ensure the Quad's continued success and endurance by urging the State Department to devise a strategy to enhance democratic coordination in the Indo-Pacific region. It also establishes a Quad Intra-Parliamentary Working Group to foster increased engagement and collaboration among the four legislatures," he further explained. The Quad, as described by the Ministry of External Affairs, is a plurilateral framework consisting of India, Australia, Japan, and the USA, united in their commitment to maintaining a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific. The next Quad Leaders' Summit is proposed to be held in India in 2024, although the specific dates are yet to be determined.
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