Quad ministers unveil 'Quad ports of future partnership'

The Quad foreign ministers on Tuesday announced a series of new initiatives aimed at strengthening maritime security, energy resilience and regional infrastructure cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, including the launch of the “Quad Ports of the Future Partnership” focused initially on Fiji.Speaking at the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the four-nation grouping remains committed to delivering practical outcomes amid rising strategic and economic challenges in the Indo-Pacific region.“At every meeting that we have had, we have been focused on momentum and on making sure we deliver outcomes which are real. Our obligation and responsibility is to provide real choices, particularly as strategic circumstances in our region are deteriorating,” Wong said during a joint press statement.The Quad comprises India, Australia, Japan and the United States.Wong highlighted growing concerns over regional economic stress and maritime security, particularly the implications of tensions around the Strait of Hormuz for global energy supplies.“The region is facing acute economic stress... we know the consequences for our region of the Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, and what that means for our energy security,” she said.

#WATCH | Delhi | After Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting, Foreign Minister of Australia, Penny Wong says, "At every meeting that we have had, we have been focused on momentum and on making sure we deliver outcomes which are real... Our obligation and responsibility is to provide… pic.twitter.com/WZzJXUVu8U

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Wong also acknowledged diplomatic efforts by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to ensure freedom of navigation in the region.“We recognise the importance of maintaining the principle of freedom of navigation and our opposition to any tolling proposition,” Wong added.Announcing the new initiatives, Wong said the Quad would intensify cooperation on energy security, maritime domain awareness and cyber resilience.“We are also today announcing the strongest ever commitment from the Quad to the Pacific through the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership, where we are launching a pilot for port infrastructure in Fiji,” she said.
The initiative is expected to support infrastructure development and connectivity in Pacific Island nations, while strengthening the Quad’s strategic engagement in the region.Wong also announced enhanced maritime coordination efforts across the Indo-Pacific, particularly in the Indian Ocean, through the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration Initiative.“In addition, we are focusing on what more we can do to ensure a transparent, more secure maritime domain in the Indo-Pacific,” she stated.The expanded maritime domain awareness initiative will provide partner nations with near-real-time unclassified satellite tracking data to combat illegal fishing, trafficking and support humanitarian disaster response operations.The Australian minister further said the Quad nations are stepping up cooperation against cybercrime and scam networks operating in Southeast Asia by strengthening law enforcement coordination and cyber capabilities.
Earlier in the day, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar called for greater focus on supply chain resilience and addressing connectivity chokepoints during the ministerial meeting.

EAM Jaishankar urges attention to supply chain resilience, connectivity chokepoints at Quad Foreign Ministers' Meet

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Wong, in her opening remarks, praised India’s growing strategic role in the Indo-Pacific and described the country as “so important in the shaping of the Indo-Pacific and the world.”“We all share a vision for the Indo-Pacific, a region that is free and open,” she said, adding that the Quad remains determined to sustain its momentum and deliver tangible benefits for the region.Ahead of the visit, Wong had described the Quad as a vital partnership for building a peaceful, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific and also participated in the 17th Australia-India Foreign Ministers’ Framework Dialogue with Jaishankar.