External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday called for deeper cooperation among Quad nations to address challenges related to supply chain resilience, connectivity chokepoints, manufacturing concentration and gaps in critical infrastructure.
Speaking at the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, Jaishankar said the grouping must work together to strengthen strategic confidence, maritime security and economic resilience in the Indo-Pacific region.
“At the global level, we have to address issues like supply chain resilience, connectivity chokepoints, manufacturing and resource concentration, and gaps in critical infrastructure,” Jaishankar said in his opening remarks. He added that these areas presented opportunities for deeper collaboration, stronger economic growth and the effective use of emerging technologies.
Highlighting the growing engagement among Quad partners, Jaishankar noted that the foreign ministers were meeting for the third time in the past 18 months, reflecting the strength and continuity of the partnership.
He also stressed the need to promote trusted and transparent partnerships to address evolving concerns in the Indo-Pacific region.
“As maritime democracies, pluralistic societies and market economies, we share the responsibility towards a free and open Indo-Pacific. The region must remain a driver for global growth and stability,” he said.
Jaishankar recalled that over the past several months, Quad countries had expanded cooperation across key priority areas, including maritime security, critical and emerging technologies, economic resilience and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). He said encouraging progress had been made on several initiatives under the framework.
At Jaishankar’s invitation, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are participating in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi.
The meeting builds on discussions held during the previous Quad Foreign Ministers’ gathering in Washington, DC, on July 1, 2025. Deliberations are expected to focus on maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific, strengthening maritime security, ensuring freedom of navigation and upholding a rules-based international order.
(ANI Inputs)
