File Picture
The United States remains focused long-term on the Indo-Pacific region despite concerns over Russian aggression toward the Ukraine, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said .
As per PTI report, Blinken will be in the Australian city of Melbourne with his counterparts from Australia, India and Japan.
The four nations form the so-called Quad, a bloc of Indo-Pacific democracies that was created to counter China’s regional influence.
There are a few other things going on in the world right now, some of you may have noticed. We have a bit of a challenge with Ukraine and Russian aggression. We’re working 24/7 on that, Blinken said in his first public address since arriving in Australia .
But we know, the president knows better than anyone else, that so much of this century is going to be shaped by what happens here in the Indo-Pacific region, he added.
The Indo-Pacific is the fastest growing region in the world, accounting for two-thirds of global economic growth over the past five years and home to half the world’s population, Blinken said.
What matters in the region matters around the world and challenges like climate change and COVID-19 can’t be tackled by any nation alone, he said.
More than ever before, we need partnerships, we need alliances, we need coalitions of countries willing to put their efforts, their resources, their minds into tackling these problems, Blinken said.
What really drives us is a shared vision of a free and open society, he added.
