Briefing reporters after the 11th Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, MEA Additional Secretary Nagaraj Naidu said discussions covered maritime security, economic prosperity, critical and emerging technologies, humanitarian assistance and supply chain resilience. The grouping also adopted four outcome documents at the conclusion of the meeting.
Energy security, maritime cooperation in focus
The Quad, comprising India, United States, Japan and Australia, announced an Indo-Pacific energy security initiative aimed at leveraging the resources and capabilities of partner countries.
Naidu said ministers held extensive discussions on ensuring affordable energy supplies as global shipping routes face increasing disruptions. He noted that international waterways are becoming more congested and stressed the need for coordinated efforts to safeguard seafarers and maintain stable energy flows.
On maritime surveillance cooperation, he said the initiative should not be viewed as militarisation. Instead, it is intended to strengthen maritime domain awareness by enabling real-time information sharing on vessel movements, including monitoring of so-called “dark ships” operating in international waters.
AI, semiconductors and digital standards
The ministers emphasised trusted technology partnerships in areas such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, digital standards and undersea cable connectivity.
The Quad also announced cooperation on next-generation communications standards and digital identity interoperability, reflecting growing efforts to build secure and resilient technology ecosystems across the Indo-Pacific.
Critical minerals pact advances
The meeting also focused on strengthening critical mineral supply chains, an area increasingly seen as vital for clean energy technologies and advanced manufacturing.
Naidu said Quad partners had agreed on a framework involving about $20 billion in commitments and investments linked to critical minerals cooperation. The operational details will be worked out by participating governments, including India’s Ministry of Mines, ahead of future meetings.
He also highlighted the potential of recovering critical minerals from discarded electronic devices such as smartphones, describing recycling as a potential gamechanger in improving supply security.
Counter-terror cooperation expands
The joint statement issued after the meeting condemned the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, while ministers also discussed evolving security threats posed by emerging technologies.
Naidu pointed to the Quad fact sheet’s reference to preventing the exploitation of new and emerging technologies, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), by terrorist groups. He said an anti-terror exercise is scheduled to take place in Australia next month, reflecting the need for closer cooperation as the nature of terrorism evolves.
Referring to discussions around cross-border terrorism, he noted that The Resistance Front (TRF) had been mentioned in a report of the UN’s 1267 sanctions monitoring mechanism, calling it an important platform for advancing international discussions on terrorism.
Quad not aimed at any one country
Responding to questions on references to China and regional geopolitics, Naidu said the Quad was not created to address concerns relating to any particular country or geography.
He said the grouping’s activities are transparent, with all documents publicly available, and have increasingly focused on practical development initiatives. These include India’s delivery of off-grid solar projects through the Quad framework and efforts to strengthen the capabilities of partner countries across the Indo-Pacific.
India is also in the process of supplying HPV sampling kits to countries in the region, while several off-grid solar projects are expected to be rolled out in nations including Comoros, Fiji and Madagascar.
Leaders’ summit expected
On the next Quad leaders’ summit, Naidu said the grouping remains committed to holding a summit-level meeting, although scheduling remains challenging given the commitments of participating leaders.
He noted that then US President Joe Biden hosted the summit in Delaware in 2024 after plans for India to host were altered due to scheduling considerations. India currently holds the Quad chairmanship.
The official also underlined continued US engagement with the grouping, noting that US Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted a Quad meeting shortly after taking office and has reiterated Washington’s commitment to the forum.
“Quad will continue to keep going strong,” Naidu said, adding that the grouping’s agenda has expanded steadily with new initiatives across energy security, technology, health, infrastructure and maritime cooperation.
