Quad flags supply chain risks, backs free and open Indo-Pacific at New Delhi meet

India on Tuesday called for stronger cooperation among Quad nations to tackle supply chain vulnerabilities, maritime security concerns and critical infrastructure gaps, as the grouping met in New Delhi against the backdrop of rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific and instability in global energy markets.

Opening the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the Indo-Pacific must remain a driver of global growth and stability, while urging the four countries to deepen trusted and transparent partnerships.

“We have to address issues like supply chain resilience, connectivity choke points, manufacturing and resource concentration and gaps in critical infrastructure,” Jaishankar said in his opening remarks.

The meeting brought together Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. It marked the third such gathering of Quad foreign ministers since September 2024.

“Our focus will clearly be on the Indo-Pacific, which is the specific limit of the Quad,” Jaishankar said.

“At the global level, we have to address issues like supply chain resilience, connectivity choke points, manufacturing and resource concentrations and gaps in critical infrastructure. Each one of them offers a new argument for more partnerships,” he added.

Without directly naming China, Jaishankar also referred to growing concerns in the Indo-Pacific and stressed the need for stronger regional cooperation.

“This will require enhancing strategic confidence, ensuring maritime security, promoting economic choices, and fostering a deeper collaborative ethos. And that is best done by promoting trusted and transparent partnerships,” he said.

“As maritime democracies, pluralistic societies and market economies, we share the responsibility towards a free and open Indo-Pacific. The region must remain a driver for global growth and stability.”

The meeting came at a time of heightened geopolitical tensions across the Indo-Pacific, alongside uncertainty in global energy markets linked to the conflict involving Iran and concerns around the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s key oil shipping routes.

The closure by Tehran of the crucial waterway has disrupted global energy markets and the wider economy, an issue expected to feature prominently in Quad discussions.

The four countries have increasingly focused on securing maritime routes, strengthening supply chains and reducing dependence on concentrated sources of critical minerals and manufacturing.

Rubio, who arrived in India on Saturday for a four-day visit aimed at strengthening ties with New Delhi, said the Quad had moved beyond being only a discussion platform.

“Our goal collectively over the last year has been to turn this from a forum in which we meet and talk about problems to one where we actually do something about it,” Rubio said.

He added that recent global developments had made Quad cooperation even more relevant.

“Quad can address some of the most significant problems facing the world, including in areas of energy security, freedom of navigation, and critical minerals,” Rubio said.

Rubio had recently said the US wanted the Quad to take “concrete actions” on issues such as maritime security and critical minerals. He also said discussions were underway for a leaders’ summit later this year.

“I don’t have a date on that yet, but hopefully this year we’ll find a time for all four leaders to get together,” he said.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said Canberra wanted the Quad to become “as strong and as effective as possible”.

“We are determined to continue the momentum of the Quad, and we want a peaceful, stable, prosperous Indo-Pacific,” Wong said.

Japan has also been pushing to diversify supplies of critical minerals after Beijing halted shipments of certain materials used in aerospace, defence and semiconductor industries following a diplomatic dispute.

The Quad meeting also took place amid continuing tensions in the East China Sea and South China Sea, where China’s increased military activity in disputed waters has heightened friction with Japan, the Philippines and other countries in the region.

Last week, a Japanese foreign ministry official said the US-Israeli conflict involving Iran, as well as tensions in the East China Sea and South China Sea, were expected to be discussed during the meeting.

Previous Quad meetings have focused on maintaining what the grouping describes as a “free and open maritime order” in the Indo-Pacific, including improving information-sharing and maritime awareness.

Beijing has repeatedly criticised the Quad, calling it a Cold War-style grouping aimed at containing China’s rise.

India also has unresolved border disputes with China, though Prime Minister Narendra Modi has signalled willingness to improve ties with Beijing amid tensions with US President Donald Trump.

New Delhi has also been pressing for a Trump visit to India, a trip likely to be linked to a future Quad summit. Analysts have questioned whether the absence of frequent leader-level meetings has reduced the grouping’s strategic momentum.

The Quad meeting in New Delhi lasted less than an hour and was followed by statements from the four diplomats.