QUAD nations launch new maritime, energy and critical minerals initiatives
Foreign ministers of the QUAD countries announced a series of new strategic initiatives focused on maritime security, critical minerals, and energy cooperation across the Indo-Pacific following a high-level meeting involving India, the United States, Australia, and Japan, Qazinform News Agency reports.
India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said the meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi resulted in several major agreements aimed at strengthening regional cooperation.
Among the key outcomes was agreement on the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Initiative and on developing a Common Operating Picture for the maritime domain to improve coordination and monitoring across regional waters.
The QUAD members also agreed to examine the establishment of an expert panel on port infrastructure and to collaborate on a pilot port project in Fiji, alongside efforts related to undersea cable connectivity.
Another major development was the finalization of the QUAD Critical Minerals Framework, designed to strengthen supply chain resilience and cooperation in the critical minerals sector. India and the United States also signed a separate bilateral Critical Minerals Framework agreement. According to Jaishankar, the QUAD is expected to work with other like-minded countries to expand cooperation in this area.
Just completed a productive QUAD FMM with colleagues @SecRubio of the US, @SenatorWong of Australia, and FM @moteging of Japan.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 26, 2026
Three major takeaways:
➡️ Agreed on Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Initiative and on a Common Operating Picture in the maritime domain. Will… pic.twitter.com/4b0dFtiAHC
The ministers also announced a new QUAD initiative focused on Indo-Pacific Energy Security. The program will focus on technology sharing, policy coordination, international market analysis, management systems, and emergency response exercises to strengthen regional energy resilience.
Earlier, Qazinform reported that U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a four-day visit to strengthen bilateral ties following recent friction over trade and energy.
