Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Leaders’ Meeting (Summary)
May 20, 2023
[Provisional translation]
On May 20, commencing at 8:40 p.m. for approximately 50 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, with The Honorable Anthony Albanese, MP, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, H.E. Mr. Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, and The Honorable Joseph R. Biden, Jr., President of the United States of America, who are all visiting Japan to participate in the G7 Hiroshima Summit, held the Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) Leaders’ Meeting under Australian chairmanship. The overview of the meeting is as follows. On the occasion of the meeting, the Quad Joint Leaders’ Statement as well as the Quad Leaders’ Vision Statement were released.
- The four leaders welcomed the in-person Quad Leaders’ Meeting, following their meeting in Tokyo last year. Prime Minister Kishida emphasized that it was even more important to demonstrate our determination to uphold the free and open international order based on the rule of law through cooperation among the Quad, and that it is of vital significance to reiterate to the international community the Quad’s solidarity and strong commitment to the common vision of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” (FOIP). The four leaders shared the said view.
- Prime Minister Kishida expressed serious concern about attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion in the Indo-Pacific, including the East and South China Seas. The four leaders shared the view that they strongly oppose such attempts.
- The four leaders condemned North Korea’s ballistic missile launches and development of nuclear weapons, and reconfirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula in consistent with United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions. Furthermore, Prime Minister Kishida asked for the understanding and cooperation of each country toward the immediate resolution of the issue of Japanese abductees, and gained their support.
- The four leaders candidly discussed the impacts of the situation in Ukraine on the Indo-Pacific. The four countries confirmed their support for respect for principles of the United Nations (UN) Charter, including territorial integrity and sovereignty. Prime Minister Kishida emphasized that the use, or threat of use, of nuclear weapons by Russia would be inadmissible. The four leaders shared the said view.
- Prime Minister Kishida emphasized the importance of developing practical cooperation which truly benefits the region, as a force for good, while listening to the voices of regional countries, such as the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), South Asia, and Pacific island countries. The four leaders confirmed the said view. They also concurred that they will continue to deepen the Quad’s cooperation in a wide range of fields, including climate change, global health, infrastructure, critical and emerging technologies, cyber, space, maritime domain awareness, and maritime security.
- The four leaders confirmed that they will continue and strengthen the Quad’s efforts, and they concurred to hold the next in-person Leaders’ Meeting in India next year.
