Quad Ministers Meet in DC as Trump Returns to Office

In a Joint Statement, Quad Ministers Said That They Met to Reaffirm 'Shared Commitment to Strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific'

- Prashant Jha

WASHINGTON: In its first foreign policy engagement, the Donald Trump administration hosted a meeting of Quad foreign ministers where the US, Japan, India and Australia committed to strengthening "maritime, economy and technology security in the face of increasing threats", expressed their goal of a "free and open Indo-Pacific", and agreed to "think bigger, deepen agenda and intensify cooperation".

With a clear eye on China, US secretary of state Marco Rubio, external affairs minister S Jaishankar, Australian foreign minister Penny Wong and Japan's foreign minister Takeshi Iwaya also opposed any "unilateral actions that sought to change the status quo by force or coercion" and agreed to strengthen supply chain resilience and reliability. They emphasized the principles of rule of law, democracy, sovereignty, territorial integrity, international law, economic opportunity, and peace, stability and security, especially in the maritime domain.