Jaishankar says the region must remain central to global growth, stability and secure supply chains….reports Asian Lite News Desk
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday said the Indo-Pacific must continue to act as a driver of global growth and stability as the Quad foreign ministers gathered in New Delhi for high level discussions on regional security, economic resilience and strategic cooperation.
Opening the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, Jaishankar said India, Japan, Australia and the United States shared a collective responsibility towards maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific as maritime democracies, pluralistic societies and market economies.
The minister said the grouping’s focus would remain firmly on the Indo-Pacific amid increasing global challenges and emerging opportunities.
“Meeting for the third time in less than 18 months, we will be discussing and deciding our shared activities. Obviously, that will take into account the many challenges and opportunities in the world. Our focus will clearly be on the Indo-Pacific, which is the specific limit of the Quad,” Jaishankar said in his opening remarks.
He stressed the need to strengthen supply chain resilience and address vulnerabilities linked to manufacturing concentration, connectivity choke points and gaps in critical infrastructure.
“At the global level, we have to address supply chain resilience, connectivity choke points, manufacturing and resource concentrations and gaps in critical infrastructure. Each one of them offers a new argument for more partnerships, stronger growth and realising the promise of technologies,” he said.
Jaishankar added that the Indo-Pacific region faced its own distinct concerns, which required stronger strategic confidence, improved maritime security and trusted partnerships.
“This will require enhancing strategic confidence, ensuring maritime security, promoting economic choices, and fostering a deeper collaborative ethos, and that is best done by promoting trusted and transparent partnerships,” he stated.
The External Affairs Minister also highlighted the progress made by Quad officials in recent months across several priority areas, including maritime security, critical technologies, economic resilience and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief, also known as HADR.
“We have seen encouraging progress on many initiatives. 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,” Jaishankar said.
The Quad grouping comprises India, Australia, Japan and the United States and focuses on cooperation in areas such as maritime security, resilient supply chains, critical minerals, infrastructure development, disaster response and emerging technologies.
The meeting in New Delhi is being attended by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
