Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The Quad Foreign Ministers have reaffirmed their steadfast commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and opposed any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. “We underscore our commitment to defending the rule of law, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. As four leading maritime nations in the Indo-Pacific, we are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region. We are committed to a region where all countries are free from coercion and strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion,” read a joint statement issued from the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Washington on July 1.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Indian External Affaris Minister S. Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya met in Washington discussing the opportunities and challenges in the Indo-Pacific and how to further harness the strengths and resources of the Quad to advance peace, security, and prosperity, working with the regional partners.
“To ensure the Quad’s enduring impact, we are pleased to announce today a new, ambitious, and strong agenda focused on four key areas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response. Through this renewed focus, we will sharpen the Quad’s ability to leverage our resources to address the region’s most pressing challenges,” the statement added.
