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Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has called upon the four-member Quadrilateral grouping to play a bigger role in maintaining security in the Indo-Pacific region. He spoke at an event organised by the Australia India Institute at the University of Melbourne just before the four-member Quad began its Foreign Ministers&#39; meeting.<br />
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Jaishankar held an hour-long conversation on the topic–Australia India Partnership in the Indo-Pacific–with Lisa Singh, CEO of the Australia India Institute and answered questions at a packed event, according to a <a href="https://about.unimelb.edu.au/newsroom/news/2022/february/australia-india-institute-hosts-indian-external-affairs-minister">press release by the university</a>.</p>
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&ldquo;The Quad is an indication that the world is changing&rdquo;. Delighted to engage in an insightful conversation with <a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrSJaishankar</a> today <a href="https://twitter.com/UniMelb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UniMelb</a> hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/AIinstitute?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AIinstitute</a> &#127470;&#127475;&#127462;&#127482;<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Quad?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Quad</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Dosti?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Dosti</a> <a href="https://t.co/EU43JGt6Gz">pic.twitter.com/EU43JGt6Gz</a></p>
&mdash; Lisa Singh (@Lisa_Singh) <a href="https://twitter.com/Lisa_Singh/status/1491942155023425536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 11, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Stephen Dziedzic, the foreign affairs reporter for Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Asia Pacific) tweeted from the event, saying: &quot;Jaishankar says the India-Australia relationship is much closer – it is &quot;dramatically changing right in front of my eyes.&quot; Says India is growing in strength and its interests are widening – &quot;I speak to you on behalf of a country which has clearly moved up the global ladder.&quot;</p>
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Indian External Affairs Minister &#8294;<a href="https://twitter.com/DrSJaishankar?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@DrSJaishankar</a>&#8297; giving a speech at &#8294;<a href="https://twitter.com/UniMelb?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@UniMelb</a>&#8297; ahead of the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting this afternoon. I&rsquo;ll tweet a few excerpts 1/ <a href="https://t.co/xjE0Sl5hJ2">pic.twitter.com/xjE0Sl5hJ2</a></p>
&mdash; Stephen Dziedzic (@stephendziedzic) <a href="https://twitter.com/stephendziedzic/status/1491910455509479428?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 10, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Talking about India&#39;s engagement with the Quad, Singh said: &ldquo;India has become vibrantly engaged in the Indo Pacific&rsquo;s geopolitical and economic architecture through its Act East approach. Australia shares India&rsquo;s energetic engagement to work on a range of areas of mutual interests at the highest levels, all to work together for a peaceful and stable Indo-Pacific region&quot;.<br />
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The Australia India Institute also launched the Institute&rsquo;s India Matters programme. Singh said: &quot;India Matters is an exciting programme the Institute will offer through interviews, policy briefs, analysis and reviews with experts, on why India matters to Australia and the world&quot;.<br />
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Duncan Maskell, Vice Chancellor of the University of Melbourne, said: &ldquo;Australia&rsquo;s region is dynamic and will play a pivotal role in shaping global progress in this century. The Australia-India bilateral relationship is a key part of this. It holds great promise and cause for optimism&quot;.<br />
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<a href="https://mea.gov.in/press-releases.htm?dtl/34823/Visit+of+External+Affairs+Minister+Dr+S+Jaishankar+to+Australia+and+Philippines+February+1015+2022">Jaishankar is on his first trip to Australia</a> as the foreign minister to attend the Quad foreign ministers meet which began on Friday morning. The Quad countries have intensified their engagement in response to China&#39;s military assertion against countries in the Indo-Pacific.<br />
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Besides the China factor, the four countries are also cooperating on development projects and socio-economic assistance in the region. They are looking at vaccine production, increasing connectivity in the region, technology collaboration and facilitating student mobility.<br />
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Jaishankar is also holding bilateral meetings with the other foreign ministers, with a focus on improving relations with the US, Japan and Australia.</p>
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China&#39;s State-owned Global Times tried to downplay the Quad meet. In an article a couple of days before the meet, it said the four countries are meeting with divergent expectations and the Quad members hold a cold war mentality.&nbsp;</p>
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