New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): The 11th Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in the national capital on Tuesday culminated in landmark agreements to scale up maritime surveillance, strengthen submarine cable infrastructure, and build resilient supply networks for critical minerals across the Indo-Pacific.
The high-level deliberations, hosted at Hyderabad House in New Delhi by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, brought together US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi to advance the alliance’s strategic roadmap.
Director General for Press and Public Diplomacy at Japan’s Foreign Ministry, Kitamura Toshihiro, said the ministerial talks produced key policy consensus on securing essential strategic resources.
“We have issued several outcome documents today. One of the outcome documents is strengthening cooperation in critical minerals and establishing a resilient supply chain for critical minerals,” Toshihiro told ANI.
When asked about the next Quad Leaders’ Summit, the senior Japanese diplomat said the timeline remains under discussion but emphasized that the momentum of the four-nation grouping remains strong.
“The date has not been fixed, but every minister is determined to continue the cooperation through this Quad mechanism,” Toshihiro said.
“In addition to security cooperation, economic security cooperation is one of the key topics discussed during today’s meeting. Under the current international situation, it is quite important to establish a resilient supply chain by cooperating with like-minded countries. India is a very important partner, both within the framework of Quad and bilaterally. We are very happy to continue this kind of cooperation with India,” he added.
Highlighting New Delhi’s central role in Tokyo’s strategic outlook, Toshihiro said India remains an anchor for regional architecture and stability in the Indo-Pacific.
“India is a very indispensable partner for Japan within this Quad framework. We would like to collaborate with India in order to ensure an open Pacific. India can play a central role in doing so,” Toshihiro said.
He also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan last August, during which both nations issued a joint vision statement for the next 10 years.
“We are trying to mobilize resources in order to fortify the bilateral relationship between the two countries. One of the pillars is security cooperation between Japan and India. We are ready to work with the Indian government so that India can work together in realizing a free and open Pacific once again,” he added.
Dismissing external criticism and geopolitical pushback from rival regional powers, Toshihiro reiterated that the Quad’s primary objective is to deliver concrete developmental and security benefits across the region.
“Quad is a framework to provide concrete cooperation to the region. We all are determined to continue working together in order to demonstrate our commitment and cooperation to the region. We are determined to continue this cooperation in order to make this region more resilient and prosperous,” Toshihiro asserted.
The commitment was formalized through a joint statement in which the ministers reaffirmed support for a free and open Indo-Pacific aimed at helping regional nations strengthen resilience and maintain strategic autonomy.
The ministers also addressed global maritime security concerns, criticizing Iran’s imposition of tolls on commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and calling for uninterrupted global commerce.
The Quad members also expressed concern over unilateral and coercive actions in key shipping lanes across the East and South China Seas.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar announced the operationalization of a critical minerals framework along with an Indo-Pacific energy security initiative, noting that the geographic diversity of the four maritime democracies allows for valuable strategic coordination to ensure safe and unimpeded commerce under international law.
Expanding on the security dimension, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the launch of an Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Cooperation Initiative designed to leverage the combined capabilities of the Quad nations.
Rubio also announced a new initiative with Fiji to upgrade port infrastructure in the Pacific Islands.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the initial phases of the coordinated maritime surveillance initiative will focus on the Indian Ocean.
She added that the Quad is also expanding cooperation to address transnational threats, including efforts to combat digital scam centers operating in Southeast Asia. (ANI)
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