Indo-Pacific should be free from coercion, sovereign rights must be respected: Morrison

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison on Friday (local time) asserted said that the Indo-Pacific should be free from coercion in accordance with international law and sovereign rights must be respected during his address at the Quad Summit in Washington.

Underlining the "extraordinary opportunities in the Indo-Pacific region, Morrison said,"it has wide diversity, great wealth but many challenges that must be overcome. And we see the role of our nations."

Expressing hope to settle disputes in accordance with international law, he said "the Indo-Pacific to be always free from coercion, where the sovereign rights of all nations are respected and where disputes settle peacefully in accordance with international law".

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the Quad Leaders' Summit along with leaders of Japan, and Australia in Washington with US President Joe Biden hosting the leaders at the White House.Focusing on the Indo-Pacific, Morrison said that it is the place that "we wish to focus on to ensure that our people can realise everything that would have for themselves."

Stressing on climate change, he said that Quad is working together on low emissions technology that will change the world and take the world to a new energy economy.

"We are working to make cyberspace and emerging critical technology trusted and secure in open societies," Morrison said.

( With inputs from ANI )