India, Australia deny Delhi’s Russia ties risk Quad partnership
India’s close military and trade ties with Russia won’t undermine the effectiveness of the Quad security partnership, Australia’s top diplomat said, despite high tensions between Moscow and western nations over Russia’s war in Ukraine.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her Indian counterpart External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told a press conference in Canberra on Monday that the so-called Quad partnership was “functioning extremely well”.
“The level of strategic trust and strategic consistency amongst Quad partners is deep and firm,” Wong said.
The Quad regional partnership, which is made up of Australia, India, Japan and the United States, met for the first time in person in September 2021.
The grouping was envisioned more than a decade ago to help democratic nations coordinate a response to China’s rise, and discussions to reform the dialogue began in 2017 under then-President Donald Trump.
However, in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February, New Delhi’s longstanding ties to Moscow have faced greater scrutiny from the rest of the partnership.
Jaishankar said the Quad was focused on the Indo-Pacific, when questioned on India’s close relationship with Russia which has seen the two trade in weapons and fossil fuels at a time of heavy sanctions on Moscow.
“I think that’s an area where the convergence of interests between the Quad partners is particularly strong,” he said.
However, India’s military would be watching the war in Ukraine “very carefully,” he added.
India has stood out as one major democracy that has been reluctant to criticise Vladimir Putin’s attack on Ukraine.
While New Delhi has supported calls for a cease-fire and a diplomatic solution, it has abstained at the United Nations on votes for draft resolutions condemning Russia’s invasion that were ultimately vetoed by Moscow.
Jaishankar said “we don’t predict our votes in advance”, when asked how India would vote at the United Nations this week on questions around the conflict that has been roiling global economies.