The US, India, Australia and Japan will work together to boost production of covid vaccines. In the first summit, the leaders of Quad countries announced a mega vaccine initiative under which coronavirus vaccines will be produced in India for the Indo-Pacific region.
The summit was held on Friday. In the virtual summit, US President Joe Biden, India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga discussed challenges posed by China and focused on pressing global crises including climate change and the coronavirus pandemic. In a joint initiative announced on Friday, India will manufacture at least one billion more coronavirus vaccines by the end of 2022. Vaccines will be produced in India with financial assistance from the US and Japan and Australian logistical support for countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The manufacturing will be supported financially by Japan and the US International Development Finance Corporation, which provides funding for projects in developing countries.
In the summit three working groups were launched, which include Quad vaccine experts group, Quad Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group, and Quad Climate Working Group. Addressing the virtual summit, the leaders emphasised the need for an “open” and “free” Indo-Pacific region and vowed to work unitedly for ensuring peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi remarked that the Quad’s agenda is to cover areas like vaccines, climate change and emerging technologies makes it a force for global good. In a statement Australian Prime Minister, Scott Morrison said “As we emerge from this global pandemic and the global recession, let us together create a different future. It is the Indo-Pacific that will now shape the destiny of our world in the 21st century,” and the countries will work together to achieve these goals.
