“Quad” Nations to Form New Energy Security Framework

New Delhi, May 26 (Jiji Press)–The foreign ministers from the Quad countries–Japan, the United States, Australia and India–met in New Delhi on Tuesday, agreeing to establish a new cooperation framework for energy security and critical minerals. The initiative is aimed at addressing supply chain disruptions reflecting Middle East tensions and reducing reliance on China, which dominates the critical minerals market. The meeting was attended by Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. Motegi told a joint press conference held after the meeting that he explained to his Quad counterparts a new free and open Indo-Pacific initiative forged by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The Quad countries also agreed to continue promoting cooperation on maritime security. According to Wong, the four nations will offer support to Fiji for port development in the Pacific island country, apparently with an aim to counter China’s growing presence in the South Pacific. At the last Quad foreign ministers meeting in Washington in July 2025, the four countries chose four priority areas of cooperation, including economic security and emerging technologies. The latest meeting focused on advancing those initiatives. “Today’s Quad meeting sent an unwavering message that we will strongly advance our practical cooperation to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific region,” Motegi said at the meeting. Agreeing to reinforce cooperation apparently with China, which is strengthening its military and economic coercion, in mind, the four ministers, in a joint statement adopted at the meeting, expressed “serious concerns regarding dangerous and coercive actions” by military aircraft, and coast guard and maritime militia vessels, while refraining from naming China. A focus regarding the Quad framework is when the four countries will be able to hold a meeting among their leaders. Motegi said, “The four foreign ministers expressed their hope for holding a Quad summit.” No schedule was set, however. The four nations were expected to hold a meeting among their leaders in India last year. But deteriorating U.S.-India relations due to the high tariff policy of U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has made it difficult to arrange a Quad summit. As Trump is apparently losing interest in Asia, Tokyo aimed to use Tuesday’s foreign ministers meeting as a catalyst for arranging a summit among the four countries to keep the U.S. leader engaged in the region. But the joint statement said only, “We look forward to the convening of the Quad leaders’ summit and the next Quad foreign Ministers’ meeting, and continuing our engagements that advance peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.” “It would be difficult for a Quad summit to take place within this year,” a Japanese government official said. Meanwhile, Rubio attaches importance to Asia. He held a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi on Saturday and invited him to visit the White House in the near future. India, for its part, advocates all-round diplomacy, and hopes to aligns itself with not only Western nations but also China and Russia. It hosted a foreign ministers meeting of the BRICS group of five emerging countries including China and Russia in New Delhi on May 14-15. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]