New Delhi : External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday underlined the Quad nations’ shared commitment to preserving a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific, describing the region as central to global growth, prosperity and strategic balance.
Addressing the opening session of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, Jaishankar said the grouping — comprising India, Japan, Australia and the United States — represents maritime democracies, pluralistic societies and market-driven economies that carry a collective responsibility towards ensuring a secure and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.
He noted that the ministers were meeting for the third time in less than 18 months and would deliberate on both emerging global challenges and new opportunities for cooperation, with the Indo-Pacific remaining at the core of the Quad’s strategic agenda.
Jaishankar said the discussions would focus on critical global concerns including supply chain resilience, connectivity bottlenecks, overdependence on single-source manufacturing and resources, as well as gaps in critical infrastructure. He stressed that such challenges also create opportunities for stronger partnerships, trusted networks and sustainable development initiatives.
The External Affairs Minister said the Indo-Pacific region continues to face complex strategic and economic challenges that require deeper strategic trust, stronger maritime security frameworks, expanded economic cooperation and transparent, reliable partnerships among like-minded nations.
Highlighting the progress achieved by the Quad in recent months, Jaishankar said officials from the four countries had advanced cooperation in several priority areas, including maritime security, critical and emerging technologies, economic resilience, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).
He expressed confidence that the meeting’s deliberations would further strengthen collaboration among Quad partners and reinforce the group’s shared vision of maintaining the Indo-Pacific as a driver of global stability and economic growth.
The Quad grouping focuses on enhancing cooperation in areas such as maritime security, resilient supply chains, critical minerals, infrastructure development, disaster response and emerging technologies.
The meeting was attended by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.