After a year of uncertainty, precipitated by the protracted absence of a leaders’ summit, the Quad announced a series of initiatives in key areas like critical minerals, energy security and maritime surveillance in the Indian Ocean, along with a plan to build a port in Fiji, hoping to supercharge the grouping’s “global good” agenda. Indian officials said after the foreign ministers’ meeting of the informal grouping of 4 like-minded maritime democracies – Australia, India, Japan and the US – that Quad is here to stay and will continue going strong. In a message to Iran, the meeting – which saw participation by Australia’s Penny Wong, India’s S Jaishankar, Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi and US’ Marco Rubio – also condemned the attacks on commercial shipping vessels and opposed any future measures inconsistent with UNCLOS, including imposition of tolls by Tehran in the Strait of Hormuz. Indian government maintains that it is not paying any toll for “navigational services” through the Strait. “We reiterate the importance of adhering to international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with respect to navigational rights and freedoms, and the safety and uninterrupted flow of global commerce through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea,” said the ministers in a joint statement. In his remarks, Jaishankar underlined the need for safe and unimpeded commerce. As the foreign ministers’ meeting again strongly condemned cross-border terrorism and the Pahalgam terrorist attack, the minister also called for zero tolerance for terrorism, saying nations subject to terrorist attacks have the right to defend themselves. Energy security was a key focus area as the grouping, taking into account shifts in the global energy landscape and increasing geopolitical complexities, launched the Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security to cooperate on energy security and resilience. The ministers said in a joint statement that Quad partners will work together to ensure open, well-functioning and stable energy markets, and resilient and diversified supply chains. “Maintaining open trade flows in essential goods is critical for the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region,” said the joint statement. The initiative called for maximising efforts to support each other’s and the region’s energy security needs during times of restricted global energy markets., while aiming to recognize and leverage the unique resources and capabilities of each country’s energy sector, including to strengthen their “respective strategic petroleum systems”. Rubio announced that the US will host a Quad fuel forum later this year. The Quad ministers also said that developments in key maritime regions had underscored the vulnerability of critical sea lanes and the risks posed to the uninterrupted flow of commerce. “These challenges carry significant implications for the Indo-Pacific, which remains central to global trade and connectivity. Disruptions to maritime transport and supply chains have far-reaching consequences for global fuel, food and fertilizer security as well as the safety of seafarers,” said the joint statement. After the mesting, Rubio announced the launch of the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Corporation (IPMSC) Initiative, which is meant to leverage each of the 4 countries’ maritime surveillance capabilities in the Indo-Pacific to enhance information sharing and maritime domain awareness capacity. The initiative will also help enable Quad partners to share real-time information and provide an enhanced picture of vessels in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. MEA additional secretary Nagaraj Naidu, who briefed the media after the meeting, said though that this should not be seen as militarisation of Quad. “The idea today is that the international waterways today are getting clogged. At the same time, there are dark ships around. So, countries in the Indo-Pacific sometimes do not have access to such technologies. And so, Quad partners have come together,” said Naidu. The initiative will initially focus on the Indian Ocean region. In his media statement, Jaishankar said that whether it’s 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,” he said. On the situation in East China Sea and South China Sea, where concerns remain about Chinese assertiveness, Quad reiterated its opposition to any destabilizing or unilateral actions including by force or coercion that threaten peace and stability in the region, emphasising the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight.
