Gregory Meeks, a senior U.S. lawmaker and the Ranking Member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee, identified India's important role as a pivotal partner for the United States against the looming threat from China. He made these remarks in New Delhi after meeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying that India was important globally for the United States.
Meeks told CNN that this particular initiative, like the Quad that includes cooperation between India and the US, along with Japan and Australia, cannot go without India onboard. "India is part of the Quad, our relations with India, as well as South Korea and Japan, United States, and Australia", he said.
Meeks said, "India is one of the big allies and key countries as we make sure that we ward off the threats of China and the Indo-Pacific and work with the Philippines, especially given India's earlier involvement in trilateral agreements, notably between India and South Korea and that of India with Japan." He indicated that India was significantly dealing with challenges that the latter nation, together with other countries, had been facing lately in the Indo-Pacific area.
Meeks emphasized shared democratic values between India and the United States, alluding to how democratic countries come together against autocracies like Russia, China, North Korea, and Iran. "India being the world's largest democracy and the United States the oldest. It's about democratic countries coming together and working collectively together," he said.
It is also considering the strategic point of the Indo-Pacific region, which covers both the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. Meeks further reiterated ongoing dialogues among nations, including India, to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific amidst China's rising military activities in the region.
In sum, Meeks highlighted the cooperation among democracies and India's input into such global initiatives aimed at the pursuit of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
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