HYDERABAD, May 27 — The Quad nations of Australia, India, Japan and the United States (US) on Tuesday unveiled a series of initiatives to strengthen Indo-Pacific infrastructure, energy security and critical minerals supply chains amid growing geopolitical tensions and concerns over disruptions to global trade routes.
Meeting in New Delhi, the foreign ministers of the Quad pledged closer cooperation on energy security. They highlighted the impact of geopolitical disruptions on global markets, “particularly in relation to oil, gas, and petrochemical products as well as essential goods and critical downstream derivatives such as fertilisers”.
In a joint statement, the ministers also announced plans to develop a pilot port project in Fiji as part of the Quad’s broader efforts to support strategic port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.
“The Fiji port plan is in line with the Quad’s decision at a conference in India last year to identify projects that can support trade by increasing port infrastructure and capacity for key Indo-Pacific corridors,” according to the statement.
Amid growing concerns over risks to digital connectivity, the ministers said it would work to ensure that “all Pacific Island Forum countries are connected via undersea cables by 2026 to secure their digital futures”.
The grouping further said it intends to support the development of secure critical minerals supply chains and mobilise up to US$20 billion in government and private sector funds for activities such as mining, processing and recycling.
Meanwhile, the Quad foreign ministers also voiced support for a peaceful resolution to the West Asia conflict and underscored the importance of energy and maritime security amid growing geopolitical tensions and concerns over disruptions to global trade routes.
The ministers also discussed navigation safety in the Indo-Pacific, including the Strait of Hormuz situation following the US-Israeli war on Iran, alongside broader regional security challenges.
“We discussed the situation in the West Asia and reaffirmed our support for ongoing diplomatic efforts and hope for lasting peace in the region.
“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,” they said in a joint statement.
The four countries also expressed serious concern over tensions and military incidents in the East China Sea and South China Sea.
“We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. We reiterate our strong opposition to any destabilising or unilateral actions including by force or coercion that threaten peace and stability in the region,” the statement said.
The ministers also raised concerns over “dangerous and coercive actions”, including interference with offshore resource development, obstruction of freedom of navigation and overflight, and unsafe manoeuvres involving military aircraft, coast guard and maritime militia vessels in the South China Sea.
The group further reaffirmed support for ASEAN’s efforts to address the Myanmar crisis and voiced concern over the conflict’s impact on regional security and the spread of transnational crimes.
“We remain concerned by the continuing conflict in Myanmar and its impact on the region. We reaffirm our support for ASEAN’s efforts and call for the immediate cessation of violence; the release of those unjustly detained; a conducive environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance; and dialogue between all parties to the conflict and affected groups,” the Quad said.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar hosted his counterparts — Australia’s Penny Wong, Japan’s Toshimitsu Motegi, and US top diplomat Marco Rubio — for the 11th meeting under the “Quad” arrangement.
Separately, Jaishankar and Rubio signed an India-US framework on “Securing of Supply in the Mining and Processing of Critical Minerals and Rare Earths”.
