US declines to include India in new security alliance

NEW DELHI: Ahead of the first in-person Quad Summit in Washington this week, the US has ruled out adding India or Japan to the new trilateral security partnership, which includes Australia and Britain.

Responding to a question if countries like India and Japan would be made part of the new security alliance to meet the challenges of the 21st century in the strategic Indo-Pacific region, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said that there is no one else who will be involved in security in the Indo-Pacific. "The announcement of AUKUS last week was not meant to be an indication, and I think this is the message the president also sent to (French President Emmanuel) Macron, that there is no one else who will be involved in security in the Indo-Pacific," Jen Psaki told reporters at her daily news conference on Wednesday, according to international media.

Last week on September 15, US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson jointly announced the formation of the trilateral security alliance AUKUS.

The trilateral security alliance is being seen as an effort to counter China in the Indo-Pacific region. Under this new security partnership, Australia for the first time, would get a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines. The alliance will allow the US and the UK to provide Australia with the technology to develop nuclear-powered submarines for the first time.