Quad Foreign Ministers Condemn Houthi Attacks in Red Sea

Quad Foreign Ministers on Monday condemned the ongoing attacks perpetrated by Yemen’s Houthis against international and commercial vessels transiting through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. The joint statement came after talks between the Foreign Ministers of the United States, Japan, Australia, and India, attended by Australia’s Penny Wong, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Japan’s Yoko Kamikawa, and Antony Blinken from the US.

“We condemn the ongoing attacks perpetrated by the Houthis against international and commercial vessels transiting through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden,” said the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting Joint Statement. “These attacks destabilize the region, impede navigational rights and freedoms, and trade flows, and jeopardize the safety of vessels and people on board, including sailors,” the statement added.

Furthermore, the Joint Statement mentioned that the Quad Foreign Ministers are looking forward to India hosting the next Quad Leaders’ Summit later this year. “We look forward to India hosting the next Quad Leaders’ Summit later this year, and to the United States hosting the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in 2025,” said the Joint Statement.

The joint statement also emphasized the importance of respecting the territorial integrity and political independence of all states and urged countries to refrain from using force or threatening to use force against others. “We reiterate our commitment to the UN Charter and call for all countries to uphold its purposes and principles, including refraining from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state,” as per the joint statement.

“We underscore our commitment to upholding respect for the rule of law and observing international law in good faith, as they constitute the foundation for peace, stability, and prosperity of all Member States,” the statement added.

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Additionally, the Foreign Ministers reiterated their commitment to strengthening the multilateral system and its institutions and emphasized the need to revitalize collective trust in the multilateral system, particularly the UN. They committed to cooperating to address attempts to undermine the foundational principles of the UN and international system. “We are committed to advancing a comprehensive UN reform agenda, including through the expansion of permanent and non-permanent seats of the UN Security Council,” the joint statement noted.

According to the Joint Statement, “We commit to active and constructive engagement in the intergovernmental negotiations (IGN) process on Security Council reforms and call for early reforms with an overall objective of making the Council more representative, transparent, effective, and credible. We also call for greater permanent representation for Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Caribbean in a reformed Security Council. We intend to work towards ambitious language on urgent and comprehensive UN reforms in the Pact for the Future.”

The Quad countries remain steadfast in their commitment to implementing the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. “With six years left, we remain steadfast in our commitment to the full implementation of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the achievement of all the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a comprehensive manner that is balanced across three dimensions – economic, social, and environmental. We recognize the 2030 Agenda and its 17 SDGs and 169 targets seek to realize the human rights of all and to achieve gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls,” said the Quad Foreign Ministers.

“They are integrated and indivisible and balance the three dimensions of sustainable development: the economic, the social, and the environmental. In this regard, we underscore our commitment to strongly engaging constructively in the discussion on the post-2030 framework for sustainable development, including at the Summit of the Future,” the joint statement added.

The joint statement underscored their commitment to creating a safe and secure world where human rights and dignity are protected. “The Quad continues to realize a safe and secure world where human rights and human dignity are protected, based on the central premise of the SDGs: ‘Leave no one behind.’ We are concerned at the attempts to reshape the UN SDG framework and affirm that the 2030 Agenda and SDGs are interrelated and indivisible,” as per the joint statement.

“The Quad is a partnership that is evolving and delivering outcomes and continues to present regional countries and the international community with solutions and options to meet the challenges of the day. The Quad is committed to steadily implementing its plans to provide tangible benefits to other countries, including those cooperation items presented here today,” the statement added.

(With ANI Inputs)

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