External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar described the recent Quad ministerial meetings "very productive," with optimism that the results will go a long way in enhancing the strategic stability and openness of the region.
After the top-level meeting on Tuesday, Jaishankar went to X to express his thoughts, saying that the deliberations were aimed at sharpening the direction of the Quad.
He wrote that the team had "discussed how to make Quad more focused and impactful on modern opportunities and challenges." Terming the session as "very productive," he added that it "will strengthen strategic stability in the Indo-Pacific and keep it free and open."
The gathering assembled US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, along with Jaishankar — all four major democracies pledged to uphold a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific.
Before negotiations began, Jaishankar highlighted India's firm approach to national security. "India has every right to protect its citizens from terrorism, and we will exercise that right. We expect our Quad friends to realize and respect that," he asserted.
Rubio, the host of the meeting, stressed the importance of collaborative problem-solving. "There are numerous world problems, as well as problems we have in our individual countries that can be solved when we work together," he said.
Looking at his increasing interactions with Jaishankar, Rubio said, "I was just explaining how much he travels. I pay attention to the news, and each time I see (he is) somewhere else in the world. So he's been really busy." He further said, "I have met Jaishankar a number of times now within six months on the job."
Referring to the Quad countries as "very important strategic partners and allies of the United States," Rubio stated that they share "a lot of shared priorities, a lot of things we care about in the world."
Aside from its security aspect, Rubio stressed that the Quad also has a crucial role to play in economic development. One area he has been specifically keen on is reconfiguring the global supply chain. "Not only access to the raw material, but access to the capacity to process and refine it into usable material," he said, talking about critical minerals. "Having a diversified and dependable worldwide supply chain of those is just one of many that we can target and build on and make some actual progress on," he continued. "That's the hope for this partnership."
Shifting talk into tangible actions is still a priority, Rubio added. "The next step in this great alliance is to actually begin to see tangible actions and steps being taken in concert with one another, in concert with one another, in partnership with one another for the good of our respective nations, and ultimately of many other nations around the globe," he said.
He also highlighted the wider significance of the partnership: "There are a lot of nations that are going to gain from this alliance, even though they're not members of it."
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