External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar today chaired the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi. Foreign Minister of Australia Penny Wong, Foreign Minister of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio attended the meeting.
The QUAD nations agreed on Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Initiative and on a Common Operating Picture in the maritime domain.
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said in a social media post that the QUAD will consider an expert panel on Port Infrastructure, collaborate on a pilot port project in Fiji, and on undersea cables. He said one of the key takeaways on the Meeting was finalisation of the QUAD Critical Minerals Framework.
QUAD nations also signed the India-US Critical Minerals Framework. QUAD is also working with other like-minded countries in this sector.
The QUAD initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security in technology, management, policy, international market analysis, and emergency response exercises was also announced today.
In his statement after the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Dr Jaishankar emphasised that cooperation among the QUAD nations will be further strengthened. He said today’s meeting was substantive and productive and the focus was on issues of relevance to the Indo-Pacific.
He stated that the Foreign Ministers discussed safe and unimpeded maritime commerce. He said QUAD nations are open societies that foster innovation and creativity in the quest for prosperity. He underlined that as democratic nations, they have also devoted their attention to countering the common threat of terrorism.
Dr Jaishankar stated that the maritime domain has seen a steady expansion of collaboration, including surveillance and domain awareness, logistics network, undersea cables, training, capacity building and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief activities. He informed that QUAD nations will be continuing to deepen these areas in the times ahead.
In his statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the QUAD Critical Minerals Framework will guide these four nations to leverage economic policy tools and coordinate investment to strengthen critical mineral supply chains, including in mining and processing and critical mineral recycling. He said that the Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security will help strengthen regional energy resilience.
Mr Rubio informed that the United States will be hosting Quad partners later this year for a Fuel Security Forum to further expand this.
Saying that QUAD nations share strong values and have aligned interests, Secretary Rubio said the US is deeply committed to the QUAD partnership.
In his joint press statement, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi emphasised the importance of diplomatic efforts in ensuring free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as well as bringing stability to West Asia.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said that the Quad has taken forward a couple of initiatives today, including in the areas of energy security and critical minerals.
She emphasised that secure and reliable supply chains are a pre-condition to the economic and strategic stability. She also said QUAD has announced the strongest ever commitment from the Quad to the Pacific through the ‘Quad Ports of the Future Partnership’.
Meanwhile, India, Australia, Japan and the United States reiterated strong commitment to ensure well-functioning, stable, transparent, secure and resilient energy markets.
The Quad Statement on Indo-Pacific Energy Security reiterated the importance of ensuring unimpeded freedom of navigation and uninterrupted flow of global commerce, including in the Strait of Hormuz, and opposing any restrictive measures hampering the flow of commercial vessels.
The Quad nations have reaffirmed the importance of resilient and diversified supply chains, including energy products and downstream commodities, to ensure global economic stability and energy security.
The member countries stressed the need for secure and uninterrupted trade flows, safe navigation, and protection of critical maritime routes and infrastructure. They underlined their shared commitment to keeping energy trade open and enhancing cooperation across the entire energy value chain.
The Quad nations also highlighted the role of diversified energy resources in strengthening the resilience and prosperity of vulnerable developing countries in the Indo-Pacific region. They acknowledged the special energy security challenges faced by small island developing states, particularly in the Pacific.
The countries further agreed to intensify cooperation to support each other’s energy security requirements, especially during periods of disruptions in global energy markets.
