'Will ensure Quad continues to be force for good'

WASHINGTON: The United States and Japan on Friday said that in association with India and Australia, they will ensure that the Quad continues to be a force for good.

The two countries said this in a joint statement after the meeting between US President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan at the White House on Friday.

''With an unbreakable bilateral relationship as our foundation, we will also collaborate with others, in the region and beyond, for the benefit of the Indo-Pacific and the world,'' the joint statement said.

''Together with Australia and India we will ensure the Quad continues to be a force for good, committed to bringing tangible benefits to the region, including by delivering results on global health, cybersecurity, climate, critical and emerging technologies, and maritime domain awareness,'' it read.

Known as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, the Quad comprises India, the United States, Japan and Australia.

According to the joint statement, Japan and the US will continue supporting ASEAN centrality and unity as well as the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific.

Earlier in a joint Oval Office media appearance, Biden said there has never been a time when the US has been closer to Japan.

''Last year in Japan, you said to me, and I quote, 'We are two nations that share fundamental values.' I couldn't agree with you more. We are. These shared democratic values are the source of our strength, the source of our alliance, and the source of our being able to deliver for all our people,'' he said.

''We're modernizing our military alliance, building on Japan's historic increase in defence spending and new National Security Strategy. Let me be crystal clear: The United States is fully, thoroughly, completely committed to the alliance and, more importantly, to the defence of Japan,'' Biden said.

''We're working closely on tech and economic issues, including the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework,'' he said.

Prime Minister Kishida said Japan and the United States are currently facing the most challenging and complex security environment in the recent history.

He said to ensure peace and prosperity in the region and to contribute to that and also safeguard peace and security of Japan, the Asian country formulated a new national security strategy late last year.

''In so doing, Japan decided to fundamentally reinforcing our defence capabilities, including in possessing the counterstrike capabilities, and in order to ensure that, increased our defence budget. And this new policy was set forth by Japan, and I believe that this will be beneficial for the deterrence capabilities and response capabilities of the alliance as well'' Kishida said.