NEW DELHI, August 4. /TASS/. India is committed to a policy of strategic autonomy, which limits attempts to turn the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (QUAD, which unites Australia, India, the United States and Japan) into an Asian equivalent of NATO, president of the Indian analytical center Imagindia Institute Robinder Sachdev told TASS.

"India’s commitment to strategic autonomy also constrains any attempt to transform it into an Asian NATO. However, the alliance can develop dual-use infrastructure, radar and communication systems, maritime capabilities and other projects that the alliance could use if necessary," he said.

"However, the QUAD at present appears directionless, with more emphasis on bilateral relations between each other, Japan, India, and Australia, while awaiting to see what direction the US wants to push."

He said that the administration of US President Donald Trump adheres to a new strategic doctrine.

"India will therefore be very closely watching the direction in which the US wants to take the QUAD," the analyst believes.

Sachdev said that the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, as well as another partnership, AUKUS, which includes Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States, were not created to counteract Russia.

"Both are principally responses to China’s naval expansion and possible Taiwan contingencies. However, their development would nevertheless have important secondary implications for Russian security," the expert said.

The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue was founded in 2007 as a mechanism for cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region and the Indian Ocean region. The group's member countries have identified four key areas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and cutting-edge technologies, as well as humanitarian assistance and emergencies response.