The Quad overseas ministers on Wednesday strongly condemned the Pahalgam terrorist assault, referred to as for the “perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be dropped at justice with none delay”, and urged all UN member nations to cooperate with all authorities beneath worldwide legislation on this regard.
Exterior Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Overseas Minister Penny Wong and Japan Overseas Minister Takeshi Iwaya met in Washington, D.C, for the second Quad overseas ministers’ assembly this 12 months, and the primary since Operation Sindoor.
Whereas there was no point out of the Russia-Ukraine warfare or the battle within the Center East or West Asia within the joint assertion issued after the assembly, from New Delhi’s perspective, the point out of the Pahalgam terror assault is important. Forward of the assembly, Jaishankar had mentioned that India anticipated its Quad companions to know and admire that the nation has each proper to defend its folks in opposition to terrorism, and it might train that proper.
“The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its types and manifestations, together with cross-border terrorism, and renews our dedication to counterterrorism cooperation. We condemn within the strongest phrases the terrorist assault in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, whereas injuring a number of others. We categorical our deepest condolences to the households of the victims and lengthen our heartfelt needs for a swift and full restoration to all these injured,” the joint assertion mentioned.
“We name for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be dropped at justice with none delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations beneath worldwide legislation and related UNSCRs, to cooperate actively with all related authorities on this regard,” it added.
Additionally they launched the Quad Crucial Minerals Initiative and introduced plans to host the primary Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Community area coaching train this 12 months and launch the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership in Mumbai this 12 months.
The subsequent Quad Leaders’ Summit is to be hosted by India later this 12 months.
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“We’re launching right now the Quad Crucial Minerals Initiative, an bold enlargement of our partnership to strengthen financial safety and collective resilience by collaborating to safe and diversify crucial minerals provide chains,” the assertion mentioned.
“We proceed to deepen our cooperation on maritime legislation enforcement cooperation by means of regional coaching initiatives, maritime authorized dialogues, and Coast Guard cooperation. We plan to host the primary Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Community area coaching train this 12 months to strengthen shared airlift capability and leverage our collective logistics strengths to reply to pure disasters extra quickly and effectively, offering assist for regional companions. We additionally plan to launch the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership in Mumbai this 12 months,” it added.
Reaffirming its steadfast dedication to a free and open Indo-Pacific, the Quad mentioned, “We underscore our dedication to defending the rule of legislation, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. As 4 main maritime nations within the Indo-Pacific, we’re united in our conviction that peace and stability within the maritime area underpin the safety and prosperity of the area. We’re dedicated to a area the place all nations are free from coercion and strongly oppose any unilateral actions that search to vary the established order by pressure or coercion.” That is within the context of the assertive behaviour by China within the area.
They mentioned that they mentioned the alternatives and challenges within the Indo-Pacific and tips on how to additional harness the strengths and sources of the Quad to advance peace, safety, and prosperity, working with regional companions.
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“To make sure the Quad’s enduring affect, we’re happy to announce right now a brand new, bold, and robust agenda centered on 4 key areas: maritime and transnational safety, financial prosperity and safety, crucial and rising know-how, and humanitarian help and emergency response. By way of this renewed focus, we’ll sharpen the Quad’s skill to leverage our sources to deal with the area’s most urgent challenges,” it mentioned.
On China, the Quad overseas ministers mentioned, “We stay severely involved in regards to the state of affairs within the East China Sea and South China Sea. We reiterate our robust opposition to any unilateral actions that search to vary the established order by pressure or coercion. We categorical our critical considerations relating to harmful and provocative actions, together with interference with offshore useful resource growth, the repeated obstruction of the freedoms of navigation and overflight, and the harmful maneuvers by army plane and coast guard and maritime militia vessels, particularly the unsafe use of water cannons and ramming or blocking actions within the South China Sea. These actions threaten peace and stability within the area. We’re severely involved by the militarisation of disputed options.”
The assertion additional added, “We emphasise the significance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, different lawful makes use of of the ocean, and unimpeded commerce in step with worldwide legislation, as mirrored within the United Nations Conference on the Legislation of the Sea (UNCLOS). We affirm that maritime disputes have to be resolved peacefully and in accordance with worldwide legislation, and reiterate that the award rendered by the Arbitral Tribunal on July 12, 2016 is a major milestone and the premise for peacefully resolving disputes between the events.”
The Quad overseas ministers mentioned their cooperation with and assist for ASEAN and its centrality and unity, the Pacific Islands Discussion board and Pacific-led regional groupings, and the Indian Ocean Rim Affiliation “stay unwavering”.
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Additionally they expressed concern about provide chains. “We’re deeply involved in regards to the abrupt constriction and future reliability of key provide chains, particularly for crucial minerals. This consists of using non-market insurance policies and practices for crucial minerals, sure by-product merchandise, and mineral processing know-how. We underscore the significance of diversified and dependable world provide chains. Reliance on anyone nation for processing and refining crucial minerals and by-product items manufacturing exposes our industries to financial coercion, worth manipulation, and provide chain disruptions, which additional harms our financial and nationwide safety,” the assertion learn.
The Quad overseas ministers additionally condemned “North Korea’s destabilising launches utilizing ballistic missile know-how and its continued pursuit of nuclear weapons in violation of a number of UN Safety Council resolutions (UNSCRs)”.
“We reaffirm our dedication to the entire denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula in step with related UNSCRs, and we urge North Korea to abide by all its obligations beneath the UNSCRs. We additionally categorical grave concern over North Korea’s malicious cyber exercise, together with cryptocurrency theft and use of employees overseas to fund North Korea’s illegal weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile applications,” the assertion mentioned, including that efforts to deal with contraventions of North Korea-related UNSCRs will proceed to be supported.
“We urge all UN Member States to abide by their worldwide obligations beneath the UNSCRs to implement sanctions, together with the prohibition on the switch to North Korea or procurement from North Korea of all arms and associated materiel. We categorical deep concern about nations which might be deepening army cooperation with North Korea, which instantly undermines the worldwide nonproliferation regime. We reconfirm the need of fast decision of the abductions difficulty,” it mentioned.
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The Quad overseas ministers expressed concern “by the worsening disaster in Myanmar and its affect” on the area. “We name on the regime to stick to its dedication to a ceasefire, and name on all events to implement, lengthen and broaden ceasefire measures. We reaffirm our robust assist for ASEAN’s efforts, together with calling for the total and efficient implementation of the 5 Level Consensus in in search of an inclusive, sturdy, and peaceable decision to the disaster. We name on all events to permit secure and unhindered supply of humanitarian help. We’re additionally involved in regards to the affect of the disaster on regional safety and the unfold of transnational crimes. We’re dedicated to preventing cybercrime and on-line rip-off operations,” the assertion mentioned.
The Quad mentioned it continues to coordinate speedy responses to regional disasters and collectively contributed “over USD $30 million in humanitarian help to assist communities affected by the earthquake that struck central Myanmar in March 2025”.
It added, “We are going to proceed to counter overseas efforts to push false narratives and intervene with Quad pursuits within the Indo-Pacific.”
It concluded by saying that because the “Quad continues to evolve, our 4 democracies stay dedicated to deepening our cooperation in assist of a free and open Indo-Pacific, and guaranteeing our cooperation has an everlasting affect on the area’s high challenges and alternatives within the twenty first century.”
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The Quad overseas ministers mentioned that they had been trying ahead to the subsequent Quad Leaders’ Summit hosted by India later this 12 months and the subsequent Quad Overseas Ministers’ Assembly hosted by Australia in 2026.