New Delhi, May 26 (HS): At a meeting of the foreign ministers of India, Japan, Australia, and the United States, major new initiatives were announced across four key areas—maritime and international security in the Indo-Pacific region, economic prosperity and security, strengthening critical and emerging technologies, and supporting humanitarian assistance and emergency response across the region.

The 11th meeting of the Quadrilateral Strategic Dialogue (Quad) foreign ministers was held at Hyderabad House on Tuesday, attended by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

The Quad countries will particularly enhance cooperation in the field of rare earths and critical minerals. In a significant announcement, the Quad Rare Earths Initiative has been launched to develop secure and diversified critical mineral supply chains. The objective is to support advanced technology, economic growth, and industrial resilience.

Quad partners will seek to mobilise up to $20 billion through government and private sector investments in mining, processing, and recycling sectors. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the initiative will focus on identifying strategic projects, encouraging private capital, and strengthening cooperation with export credit agencies. The countries also agreed to enhance cooperation in licensing, regulatory processes, and geological resource assessments. Joint efforts will be undertaken to promote recovery and recycling of critical minerals from e-waste and scrap materials, making supply chains more resilient and sustainable.

In a special briefing, Additional Secretary K. Nagaraj Naidu said that discussions in the foreign ministers’ meeting were structured around four main pillars: maritime and international security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response. The ministers emphasised the importance of maritime security and safe sea lanes in the Indo-Pacific region. They also highlighted expanded cooperation under the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness.

Naidu described counterterrorism as a key pillar of Quad cooperation, stating that the ministers condemned all forms and manifestations of terrorism, including cross-border terrorism. The joint statement strongly condemned the April 2025 terrorist attack in Pahalgam and called for decisive international action against terrorist organisations, their financing networks, and sponsors.

The Ministry of External Affairs also released a factsheet outlining cooperation across four domains.

### Maritime and International Security

The Quad countries launched the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration initiative to enhance maritime monitoring in the region. This will strengthen information sharing and maritime awareness capabilities. Under the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness, the Quad agreed to develop a shared common operating picture.

India will host the next Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission. In September 2025, India conducted counterterrorism workshops. In June 2026, Australia will host a Quad counterterrorism tabletop exercise on state-sponsored terrorism and drone threats.

### Economic Prosperity and Security

The Quad announced a new Critical Minerals Initiative Framework to strengthen supply chains through investment in mining, processing, and recycling. The Indo-Pacific Energy Security Initiative was also agreed upon to improve regional energy resilience.

Following the Quad Ports of the Future Conference scheduled in India in October 2025, cooperation has been announced for port infrastructure development in Fiji. The Quad countries also agreed to continue fellowship programmes in maritime, infrastructure, and STEM sectors.

They further committed to connecting all Pacific Island Forum countries to submarine cable networks by 2026 and to provide over $25 million in assistance for energy technology supply chains.

### Critical and Emerging Technologies

The Quad welcomed progress under Open RAN collaboration in Palau to expand secure 4G and 5G connectivity. The partners will also cooperate on the development of 6G standards. A workshop on digital identity standards will be held to strengthen cross-border technological coordination.

Under the AI-ENGAGE initiative, more than $6 million has been announced for six international agricultural research projects aimed at improving crop yield, pest management, and food security.

### Humanitarian Assistance and Emergency Response

Quad countries have expanded training for health professionals to address health emergencies and pandemics in the Indo-Pacific, with initiatives valued at over $50 million. A tabletop exercise and strategic working group meeting held in Honolulu in 2025 further strengthened Quad disaster response capabilities.

### Statements by Foreign Ministers

After the meeting, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar said Quad cooperation in maritime domains is continuously expanding, including surveillance, maritime domain awareness, logistics networks, undersea cables, training, capacity building, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations. He said these areas will be further deepened to ensure safe and uninterrupted maritime commerce in the Indo-Pacific region. He emphasised that adherence to international law is essential for regional stability and global trade.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said two major announcements were made on maritime security. The first is the launch of the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness initiative, which will enhance information sharing by using surveillance capabilities across Quad nations. He also highlighted an expansion of the initiative to provide near real-time commercial maritime data across the Indo-Pacific.

Rubio thanked India for hosting the next Quad-at-Sea mission. He said maritime security is crucial because global trade flows through the Indo-Pacific, making it a vital strategic interest for countries worldwide. He also announced a new partnership on port infrastructure development in Fiji, marking the first Quad collaboration on such a project.

On critical minerals, Rubio said the new framework will guide coordinated investments across mining, processing, and recycling supply chains. On energy security, he announced the Indo-Pacific Energy Security Initiative, aimed at strengthening regional resilience and cooperation in technology, policy, and emergency response.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong emphasised ensuring a transparent and secure maritime domain in the Indo-Pacific. She highlighted coordinated maritime surveillance during the Malabar exercise in the Indian Ocean and expanded satellite data sharing to combat illegal fishing and smuggling. She also noted submarine cable deployment for Pacific Island Forum countries and cooperation against scam centres in Southeast Asia and cyber capacity building.

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said instability in Iran is affecting the Indo-Pacific, including energy supplies. He stressed the importance of ensuring free and secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and diplomatic efforts for stability in the Middle East. He also supported the energy security initiative and expressed interest in linking it with the Power Asia framework. He raised concerns over export restrictions on critical minerals and discussed North Korea’s nuclear and missile issues, cyber activities, and reiterated commitment to complete denuclearisation.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar