In a significant diplomatic engagement, the foreign ministers of the Quad nations convened in New Delhi to discuss expanding collaborative efforts in the Indo-Pacific. This meeting comes at a time of escalating geopolitical tensions and economic volatility stemming from the West Asia conflict, emphasizing the urgency of enhancing regional cooperation.
India’s external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar, hosted counterparts Penny Wong of Australia, Toshimitsu Motegi of Japan, and Marco Rubio, the US Secretary of State, marking the first Quad foreign ministers’ assembly in nearly a year. The agenda focused on reinvigorating the Quad’s initiatives, specifically targeting maritime security, economic resilience, critical minerals, infrastructure development, and disaster response.
Preceding the primary gathering, Jaishankar and Motegi held bilateral discussions centered on economic security and the implications of the West Asia crisis for energy supplies and trade. Both nations underscored the critical need for maintaining stability in the Indo-Pacific and securing maritime routes. Motegi highlighted the ongoing structural shifts in global power dynamics and conflicts, asserting the shared responsibility of India and Japan in shaping the future international order.
Australia reiterated the Quad’s essential role in sustaining peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific, noting that the partnership’s significance has grown amid an increasingly unstable global environment. A crucial topic on the table is the much-anticipated Quad Leaders’ Summit, which was delayed after US President Donald Trump did not confirm attendance. The last summit took place in the United States in 2024, with the preceding foreign ministers’ meeting occurring in Washington in July 2025.
Jaishankar recently emphasized the commitment of the Quad nations—described as “maritime democracies”—to uphold international law, secure trade routes, and preserve a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific. This meeting is seen as a decisive step in advancing those objectives and reinforcing the Quad’s strategic vision for the region.