Key highlights from Quad foreign ministers’ meeting

“The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renews our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation. We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, while injuring several others,” the joint statement read.

It added: “We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extend our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery to all those injured. We call for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSCRs, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.”

Other discussions and initiatives include:

– Quad Critical Minerals Initiative: The Quad countries launched the new flagship initiative to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating on securing and diversifying critical mineral supply chains.

“This new flagship initiative, alongside the high-impact programmes and outcomes the Quad is realising, will enable our four countries to bring economic opportunity and prosperity to our people and the region,” said a readout of the meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and her Japanese counterpart Takeshi Iwaya.

– Maritime and Transnational Security: The Quad grouping discussed enhancing maritime security cooperation, including the launch of the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership.

“We will formally launch the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership by hosting a transportation and logistics conference with Indo-Pacific partners in Mumbai in October 2025. The conference will increase knowledge, facilitate dialogue, and exchange experiences on advanced ports and logistics practices; and mobilize government and private sector investments in quality port infrastructure development,” a readout of the meeting said.

– Free and Open Indo-Pacific: The Quad nations reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, promoting prosperity of all the citizens in the region.

“We underscore our commitment to defending the rule of law, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. As four leading maritime nations in the Indo-Pacific, we are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region. We are committed to a region where all countries are free from coercion and strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,” the joint statement read.