Quad Foreign Ministers Meet in New Delhi, Expand Cooperation on Minerals, Maritime Security and Energy

The Quad grouping — India, the United States, Australia and Japan — expanded its cooperation in critical minerals, maritime security and energy at a foreign ministers’ meeting held in New Delhi on 26 May 2026. The meeting was chaired by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and attended by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.

The ministers launched an energy security initiative to help Indo-Pacific countries deal with disruptions caused by the West Asia conflict. They also announced a project to build a port in Fiji and new steps to strengthen maritime surveillance and port infrastructure across the region.

Many of the measures are aimed at reducing dependence on China, which dominates sectors such as critical minerals, infrastructure and telecommunications, and at countering its growing military presence in the Indo-Pacific. China responded by saying that cooperation among countries should support regional peace and should not target any “third party”.

The meeting reflects India’s central role in shaping Indo-Pacific cooperation. For aspirants, the Quad’s focus areas — supply-chain security, maritime domain awareness and energy resilience — are important themes in India’s foreign policy.