Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, EAM Affairs S Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pose following a Quad ministerial meeting. (AP Photo)Quad Foreign Ministers meeting LIVE: China on Tuesday reiterated its stance on the Quad, saying cooperation between countries should not target any third party. The group agreed to jointly build a port in Fiji under the newly announced Quad Ports of the Future Partnership. Fiji was among the first Pacific Island nations to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with Beijing on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Major initiatives announced: After their meeting, the foreign ministers of the Quad member states announced an array of initiatives to strengthen cooperation. Marco Rubio announced a host of information-sharing initiatives aimed at enhancing maritime surveillance capabilities and commercial maritime data awareness. Australia’s Penny Wong announced the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership aimed at strengthening maritime infrastructure in the Pacific Islands, and plans to improve port infrastructure in Fiji.
Key multilateral frameworks announced:
- Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Cooperation Initiative: This aims to improve maritime surveillance and information-sharing across the Indo-Pacific.
- Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative: This will be expanded to provide near-real-time commercial maritime data to countries in the region.
- Quad Ports of the Future Partnership: This is for port infrastructure development in the Pacific Islands. Under this, the Quad will work with Fiji to improve its port infrastructure.
- Quad Critical Minerals Framework: This is aimed at strengthening critical mineral supply chains and their recycling. China currently dominates the global supply chain (by accounting for 85 per cent of processing capacity). After Bejing curbed exports last year, several countries have looked at diversifying sources. Pax Silica was one such initiative, which India officially joined Pax Silica in on February this year, on the sidelines of the India AI Impact Summit.
India, US sign critical minerals bilateral framework: India and the US signed a bilateral framework to secure the supply and processing of critical minerals and rare earths on Tuesday following the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meet. His announcement also comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the Quad Critical Minerals Framework, an initiative aimed at strengthening critical mineral supply chains and their recycling.
The Quad Foreign Ministers meeting was held at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. EAM S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi and Australia’s Penny Wong attended the meeting, which marked the third such gathering since September 2024.
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration should not be seen as militarisation of Quad: MEA
The newly announced Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC) is aimed at strengthening the Quad's contribution to regional maritime domain awareness through coordinated maritime surveillance efforts and should not be viewed as a militarisation of the four-member grouping, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.
Addressing a special briefing following the 11th Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting here, MEA Additional Secretary Nagaraj Naidu said the initiative is focused on improving surveillance capabilities in the Indo-Pacific amid growing congestion in international waterways and increasing movement of "dark ships".
"This is the Quad, the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Cooperation. This surveillance should not be seen as the militarisation of the Quad. Neither is IPMDA, the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness," Naidu said.ANI
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: China opposes Quad meeting in New Delhi, says it is against ‘exclusive groupings’ and ‘bloc confrontation’
China on Tuesday reiterated its opposition to the Quad grouping, saying it is opposed to the formation of exclusive alliances and bloc confrontation, even as the four-member grouping unveiled new measures to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Read full report here
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Quad continues to remain a grouping of four members: MEA on expansion
The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday clarified that the Quad continues to remain a grouping of four member countries, while noting that the platform remains open to collaboration with other partners in specific areas of cooperation.
Responding to a question on whether there has been any discussion on expanding the Quad, MEA Additional Secretary Nagaraj Naidu said the grouping remains limited to its four founding members at present.
"As of now, the Quad continues to remain a grouping of four members, but we are delivering for all of the Indo-Pacific," he said during a special briefing following the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
Naidu stated that while the Quad is not currently expanding its membership, it remains open to working with other countries in specific areas of cooperation where there is potential for collaboration. ANI
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Japanese minister Toshimitsu Motegi meets PM Modi after Quad meeting
Toshimitsu Motegi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Australian minister Penny Wong meets PM Modi
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: India very indispensable partner within Quad framework, says Japanese Foreign Press Secretary
The 11th Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in the national capital on Tuesday culminated in landmark pacts to scale up maritime surveillance, fortify submarine cable infrastructure, and build resilient supply networks for critical minerals across the Indo-Pacific.
The high-powered deliberations, hosted at the historic 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 steer the alliance's strategic roadmap.
Director General for Press and Public Diplomacy at the Japanese Foreign Ministry, Kitamura Toshihiro, noted that the ministerial talks yielded key policy consensus on securing essential strategic resources. ANI
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: India, US sign landmark pact to secure critical minerals supply chain amid China concerns
India and the US on Tuesday firmed up a key framework for cooperation in ensuring steady supplies of critical minerals, a move that comes amid growing concerns over China's export controls on rare earth elements and strategic metals vital for global technology supply chains.
The framework on securing supplies of mining and processing of critical minerals was signed on the sidelines of the Quad foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi.
"It is something very timely and critical," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said in presence of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
"This framework aims to deepen our cooperation across the entire critical minerals and rare earth supply chain, including mining, processing, recycling and related investment," he said. PTI
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: What is the Quad and what are its objectives?
Following the Indian Ocean tsunami of December 2004, India, Japan, Australia, and the US came together in an informal arrangement to coordinate disaster relief operations. In 2007, then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe gave political shape to the grouping through the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, commonly known as the Quad.
But this nascent group was hampered by a lack of cohesion amongst members and accusations that the Quad was nothing more than an anti-China bloc. As strategic priorities diverged among member states, the grouping gradually lost momentum after its initial phase. In 2017, faced again with the rising Chinese challenge, the four countries revived the Quad and broadened its objectives.
Read more here to know what is the Quad
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: 'We are for peace, stability in Indo-Pacific': Australian FM Penny Wong counters Beijing's rhetoric on Quad
Pushing back against China's sharp rhetoric, Australia on Tuesday re-anchored the core narrative of the Quadrilateral alliance, emphasising that the strategic partnership remains a positive, constructive architecture dedicated entirely to regional security.
Addressing reporters in New Delhi after the deliberations of the foreign ministers of the four members of the Quadrilateral grouping of countries, Wong firmly brushed aside China's allegations of "bloc confrontation".
Focusing the spotlight on the Quad alliance's foundational objectives, Wong said. "I want to talk about what we are for. We are for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, and that's what we're acting to deliver." ANI
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Opposed to formation of exclusive groupings, China on Quad FMs meeting
China on Tuesday reiterated its opposition to the Quad, saying it was opposed to the formation of exclusive groupings and engaging in bloc confrontation.
"China has stated its position on Quad on multiple occasions," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here when asked to comment on the grouping's new measures to boost maritime surveillance in the Indo-Pacific region.
"Cooperation between countries should be conducive to regional peace, stability and prosperity, and not target any third party. We oppose forming exclusive groupings or engaging in bloc confrontation," she said.
The Quad comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia. (PTI)
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Special emphasis on importance of free navigation at Quad foreign ministers' meet | WATCH
The Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting placed special emphasis on the importance of free navigation, uninterrupted trade, and maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.
Watch what the MEA said.
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Australia-India-Japan-US Quad to build a port, unveil pact on critical minerals
The foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the U.S. agreed to jointly build a port in Fiji and signed pacts covering critical minerals and energy security, as they sought to inject fresh energy into their grouping known as the Quad. The brief meeting between the countries' top diplomats – Australia's Penny Wong, India's S. Jaishankar, Japan's Toshimitsu Motegi and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio – was the third such gathering of the Quad since September 2024.
The group unveiled its first joint infrastructure project, a port in Fiji.
"We are going to be partnering on issues of port infrastructure, in particular in response to insufficient port capacity in the Pacific Islands, we are announcing plans to work with Fiji," Rubio said. (Reuters)
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Quad ministers announce new Indo-Pacific initiatives on maritime security and energy
Foreign ministers from Australia, India, Japan and the United States announced new initiatives on Tuesday on maritime security, port infrastructure and energy to boost cooperation in the Indo-Pacific to counter concerns about China’s growing influence.
The announcements by the group of nations known as the Quad 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. 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.
He said the Quad would work with Fiji to upgrade port infrastructure in the Pacific islands, marking its first joint regional infrastructure project. 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, Rubio said. (AP)
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: More about India, US pact to secure critical minerals supply chain
India and the US on Tuesday firmed up a key framework for cooperation in ensuring steady supplies of critical minerals.
Through this framework, the US and India will engage in international efforts to protect sensitive supply chains from coercive market practices and reduce our collective vulnerability to single-source monopolies, it said.
The US government is mobilising unprecedented resources to secure critical mineral supply chains, supporting projects with more than USD 30 billion in investments, loans, and other support in partnership with the private sector.
These investments, along with Pax Silica and our reinvigorated diplomatic and commercial engagement are having a multiplier effect, mobilising private capital many times greater than government outlays, it said. (PTI)
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: China says QUAD should not target third party
China on Tuesday reiterated its stance on the Quad, saying cooperation between countries should contribute to regional peace, stability and prosperity, and should not target any third party.
"We also do not support the formation of exclusive cliques or bloc confrontation. No cooperation should undermine mutual trust and cooperation among regional countries," said China's foreign ministry spokesperson, Mao Ning.
The foreign ministers of India, Australia, Japan and the US gathered on Tuesday in New Delhi and agreed to jointly build a port in Fiji under the newly announced Quad Ports of the Future Partnership.
Fiji was among the first Pacific Island nations to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Quad statement on Indo-Pacific energy security
Amid energy supply bottlenecks caused by the war in West Asia, the Quad issued a statement on Indo-Pacific energy security, saying that it is accelerating collaboration to ensure energy stability and security. The group said it recognises shifts in the global energy landscape and escalating geopolitical complexities.
'We recognize impacts of disruptions to global markets, particularly in relation to oil, gas, and petrochemical products as well as essential goods and critical downstream derivatives such as fertilizers, fall heavily on the Indo-Pacific region. Our leaders have expressed a clear collective intent to cooperate on energy security and resilience,' the statement read.
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: US Secy Marco Rubio depart for Armenia
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio and his wife Jeanette D. Rubio depart for Armenia from Delhi, India.
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: India, US sign bilateral framework on securing critical minerals, rare earths supplies
EAM Jaishankar says, "We are today signing a bilateral India-US framework on securing supplies of mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earths. This is something we have also discussed today at the Quad meeting and whether we are doing it bilaterally, or in the Quad format or as a larger gathering of like-minded nations, it is something very timely and critical. This framework aims to deepen our cooperation across the entire critical minerals and rare earth supply chain, including mining, processing, recycling and related investment. It will strengthen resilient and diversified supply chains, help us to collaborate and financing and with the effective management of critical minerals and rare earths... It is one more sign of how close our cooperation is in a world where there are so many challenges but also so many opportunities..."
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: 'Quad united against coercion,' says Japan FM, pushes for Free and Open Indo-Pacific
After the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting, Foreign Minister of Japan Toshimitsu Motegi says," I am delighted to see the progress of the Quad cooperation, which is the propellant for realising the Free and Open Indo-Pacific. There has been a significant change in the international circumstances. At the beginning of the meeting today, I emphasised the importance of our four nations to the Quad in realising Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). The point of the update of FOIP is that the countries of the Indo-Pacific should strengthen their resilience and capacity to determine their own future. Today's meeting gave us a good opportunity to send an unshaken message that Quad will advance the necessary concrete cooperation for this."
"Also today, through frank exchange of views, we were able to align our strategic perceptions on regional developments and agreed to strongly oppose attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion."
"We shared deep concern over the export restrictions of critical minerals and others as well. We discussed the North Korean situation, including nuclear and missile problems and cyber activities, and reaffirmed our commitment towards the complete denuclearisation of North Korea. I received support from the other three countries, aiming to bring an immediate solution to the abduction issue."
"As the Iranian situation imposes enormous impact on the Indo-Pacific region, energy supply viewpoint included, we confirmed the importance of diplomatic efforts in ensuring free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as well as stability to be brought to the Middle East."
"The energy security initiative to secure stable supply of energy in the Indo-Pacific region is a timely initiative. We would like to partner it with Power Asia, a cooperation framework for the procurement of crude oil and petroleum products that Japan is promoting.
Furthermore, the critical minerals initiative framework launched today is a very important initiative from the perspective of strengthening the supply chain of critical minerals, and we will proceed with concrete cooperation."
In this way, today we have agreed to promote various cooperation projects. We would like to work together among the Quad to develop resilience and strengthen capacity to determine their own paths in the region and to promote cooperation that truly benefits this region."
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: US Secy Marco Rubio announces Quad Critical Minerals Framework
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says, 'We'll announce the Quad Critical Minerals Framework, which will guide each of us to leverage economic policy tools and coordinate investment to strengthen critical mineral supply chains, including in mining and processing and in critical minerals recycling. Finally, on energy and fuel security, we'll be announcing the Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security that will help strengthen regional energy resilience and through this initiative. The Department of Energy from the United States will be hosting Quad partners later this year for a fuel security forum to further expand on this.'
'Minister Jaishankar and I want to thank India for being a tremendous host. We've been here for four days and it's been a phenomenal visit. So thank you for everything you've done to extend such a welcome and for allowing us to meet with so many people, and just as importantly, to be hosting this event.'
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Australia's Penny Wong announces Quad Ports of the Future Partnership
After Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting, Foreign Minister of Australia, Penny Wong says, "At every meeting that we have had, we have been focused on momentum and on making sure we deliver outcomes which are real... Our obligation and responsibility is to provide real choices, particularly as strategic circumstances in our region (Indo-Pacific) are deteriorating. The region is facing acute economic stress... we know the consequences for our region of the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and what that means for our energy security... We recognise the efforts of Secretary Rubio towards a diplomatic resolution to ensure freedom of navigation is restored. We recognise the importance of maintaining the principle of freedom of navigation and our opposition to any tolling proposition. The Quad is today taking forward a number of new initiatives, an energy security initiative..."
She also says, "We are also today announcing the strongest ever commitment from the Quad to the Pacific through the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership where we are launching a pilot for port infrastructure in Fiji... In addition, we are focusing on what more we can do to ensure a transparent, more secure maritime domain in the Indo-Pacific... And you are seeing that we will be coordinating our maritime surveillance efforts initially in the Indian Ocean and at exercise Malabar through the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration Initiative. We are also expanding the domain awareness initiative to the Indian Ocean. This will enable partners to access near-real-time unclassified satellite tracking data to combat illegal fishing trafficking and also enable us to better support humanitarian disaster response... We are also working together to strengthen cooperation against scam centres, particularly in South East Asia, building law enforcement capacity and deepening cyber cooperation... We know we work better in partnership across our region..."
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Rubio announces key initiatives
Following the Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says, "I'm very happy today that as a result of the work that our teams have been doing leading up to this conversation, we have real concrete achievables that we can announce to our respective countries and to the world. On the issue of maritime security, there are two big announcements. The first is the launch of the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Cooperation Initiative, which is going to leverage each of our country's maritime surveillance capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to enhance information sharing. Related to that is also the expansion of the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness Initiative, which provides and can provide near-real-time commercial maritime domain awareness data to countries throughout the Indo-Pacific."
"And last, I also want to thank India for committing to hosting the next iteration of the Quad at Sea mission, which brings together our respective coast guards together in one place on one ship. The reason why maritime security is so important, beyond the fact that current events remind us of what can happen when maritime security is impeded, is the fact that 60% of global maritime trade passes through the Indo-Pacific, and it's a vital national interest not just to the four countries represented here today, but to dozens of countries, countless countries around the world. The second initiative: we're going to be partnering on issues of port infrastructure. In particular, in response to insufficient port capacity in the Pacific Islands. We're announcing plans to work with Fiji to advance that country's port infrastructure. It'll be the first time that the Quad partners work together on a port infrastructure project."
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: 'As democratic nations, we also devoted attention to countering common threat of terrorism,' says S Jaishankar
After Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting, EAM S Jaishankar says, "The Quad nations are open societies that foster innovation and creativity in our quest for growth and prosperity. These forces are strengthened when we undertake more exchanges, as we intend to do. So, whether it is in business forums, healthcare initiatives, or digital activities, each facet of a joint effort makes the region that much better. As democratic nations, we also devoted attention to countering the common threat of terrorism. There must be zero tolerance for terrorism, and nations subject to terrorist attacks have the right to defend themselves."
"A free and open Indo-Pacific has many dimensions and facets. Our meeting today took stock of the progress in many of them while encouraging exploration in others. In the coming days, whether it is economic activity, energy trade or maritime commerce, the Indo-Pacific will become even more important to the world. The responsibilities of the Quad will grow commensurately, and we must prepare for that."
Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting Live Updates: Foreign Ministers deliver joint press statement
EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, "We've just concluded a very substantive and productive meeting of the Quad foreign ministers. Much of the discussions and indeed the bilateral exchanges were devoted to the current state of the world. Being QUAD, we naturally focused on issues of particular relevance to the Indo-Pacific. Because we are four maritime democracies located at different ends of the Indo-Pacific, the exchange of perspectives was an exercise of considerable value."
"The maritime domain has seen a steady expansion of collaboration, including surveillance and domain awareness, logistics network, undersea cables, training, capacity building and HADR activities. We will be continuing to deepen these areas in the times ahead. We spent some time on the question of safe and unimpeded maritime commerce and reaffirmed the significance of scrupulously observing international law. Our four nations are also market economies. We believe strongly that economic resilience should be promoted, the supply chains should be strengthened, trusted and secure technologies diffused, and production capacities enhanced. Our deliberations touched on the current energy and fertiliser availability..."