Quad Foreign Ministers have announced new initiatives on maritime security, port infrastructure and energy, as the group seeks to deepen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific over concerns about China’s growing influence in the region.
The announcements came after talks in New Delhi between India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
Jaishankar described the talks as “an exercise of considerable value,” saying the Ministers also discussed maritime trade, energy and fertilizer supplies, as well as critical minerals.
He added that as economic activity, energy, trade and maritime commerce in the region grow, “the responsibilities of the Quad will grow commensurately, and we must prepare for that.”
“Economic resilience should be promoted, that supply chain should be strengthened, trusted and secure technologies diffused and production capacities enhanced.”
Subrahmanyam Jaishankar
He added that the Ministers spent considerable time discussing safe and unimpeded maritime commerce and reaffirmed the significance of scrupulously observing international law.
The leaders also discussed the Iran war and halted energy shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking after the meeting, Rubio announced a new Indo-Pacific maritime surveillance initiative to integrate the four countries’ surveillance capabilities and strengthen real-time information sharing across the region. Rubio also disclosed that the Quad would work with Fiji to upgrade port infrastructure in the Pacific islands, marking its first joint regional infrastructure project.
Rubio added that the Ministers also launched an Indo-Pacific energy security initiative aimed at strengthening regional fuel and energy supply chains, with the U.S. set to host a Quad fuel security forum later this year.
“We are deeply committed to this partnership. It is a linchpin in a cornerstone of our global strategy as a nation.”
Marco Rubio
Australia’s Wong said that the Indo-Pacific was facing “acute economic stress” and warned that any closure of the strait would have serious consequences for regional energy security.
Referring to Iran’s plan to charge vessels passing through the Strait of Hormuz, Wong said, “We recognize the importance of maintaining the principle of freedom of navigation and our opposition to any tolling proposition.”
She said that the Quad reflects a shared commitment among four sovereign nations to a free and open Indo-Pacific.
“There is great alignment between our interests. We all share a vision for the Indo-Pacific, a region that is free and open.”
Penny Wong
Japanese Foreign Minister, Toshimitsu Motegi said that the group discussed the impact of tensions involving Iran on Indo-Pacific energy security and confirmed the importance of diplomatic efforts to ensure free and safe navigation through the strategic waterway. He noted that the Ministers also voiced support for initiatives aimed at strengthening critical mineral supply chains and energy cooperation to boost regional resilience across the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.
U.S Wants Quad To Take More Concrete Action
Ahead of today’s talks, Rubio said that Washington wants the Quad to move beyond being a dialogue platform and take more concrete action on issues including maritime security and critical minerals.
He also said that officials were working toward a summit of the four leaders later this year, although no date has been announced. The four countries had hoped to hold a leaders’ summit in India last year, but the plan was delayed because of strains in U.S.-India relations, including disagreements over tariffs.
The Quad group, made up of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S., is a key strategic partnership for cooperation on maritime security, supply chains and regional strategy as China expands its military and economic influence in the Indo-Pacific.
The Quad has repeatedly accused China of flexing its military muscles in the South China Sea and aggressively pushing its maritime territorial claims. Beijing maintains that its military is purely defensive to protect what it says are China’s sovereign rights and calls the Quad an attempt to contain its economic growth and influence.
READ ALSO: Perth Man Jailed for Role in International Cocaine Importation Scheme
