Quad concerns

US stance could hamper cooperation

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The joint statement at the Quad foreign ministers' meeting in Washington has reflected India's concern about cross-border terrorism by condemning "in the strongest terms" the terror attack in Pahalgam, which killed 25 Indians. This is the first Quad foreign ministers' meeting since Operation Sindoor. The emphatic language of the condemnation would be gratifying for India after Foreign Minister S Jaishankar's impassioned appeal for the Quad to understand India's right to defend itself against terrorism. Mr Jaishankar's eloquence was aimed at the United States (US); given the nature of the current administration in Washington, achieving this shared objective could become challenging.