New-Delhi/ Bhopal, May 26, 2026

The Quad nations on Tuesday reviewed the progress of their Indo-Pacific agenda and discussed emerging regional and global challenges during the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in New Delhi amid rising geopolitical tensions and growing focus on maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region.

Addressing a joint press interaction after the meeting, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar described the discussions as “productive” and announced several new initiatives aimed at strengthening cooperation among the four-member nations- India, the United States, Australia and Japan. Jaishankar was joined by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. The meeting reaffirmed the Quad’s commitment towards maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. Officials said the discussions focused on four major pillars of cooperation- maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response. Jaishankar announced that the Quad nations would explore creation of an expert panel on port infrastructure, collaborate on a pilot port project in Fiji and jointly work on undersea cable connectivity initiatives in the Indo-Pacific region.

Another major outcome of the meeting was the finalisation of the Quad Critical Minerals Framework. The initiative aims to strengthen cooperation in critical mineral supply chains, which are increasingly becoming vital for clean energy, semiconductors and emerging technologies. Jaishankar also revealed that India and the United States signed a separate bilateral Critical Minerals Framework agreement. “Quad is working with other like-minded countries in this sector,” Jaishankar said, underlining the strategic importance of critical minerals in the evolving global economy.

The ministers also launched the Quad Indo-Pacific Energy Security Initiative, which will focus on technology cooperation, energy management, policy coordination, international market analysis and emergency response exercises. Counter-terrorism remained another important focus area during the discussions. Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs K Nagaraj Naidu said the Quad Foreign Ministers strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. He added that the joint statement specifically condemned the recent terrorist attack in Pahalgam. He said the grouping also agreed to work towards developing a “Common Operating Picture” in the maritime domain to enhance information sharing and monitoring capabilities.

Earlier, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the meeting provided an opportunity for the Quad ministers to review progress on ongoing initiatives and exchange views on key developments concerning the Indo-Pacific and other issues of mutual interest. India hosted the high-level Quad meeting at a time when strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific continues to intensify and regional security concerns remain under sharp global attention.

The Quad, or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, is a strategic grouping of four countries — India, the United States, Japan and Australia. It focuses on maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region through cooperation in maritime security, technology, infrastructure, disaster response, supply chains and regional stability amid growing geopolitical challenges in Asia-Pacific waters.