Washington DC [US], May 29 (ANI): The United States has reaffirmed that the Quad remains a key priority in its foreign policy, with State Department Spokesperson Tommy Pigott underscoring that the grouping is central to Washington's Indo-Pacific strategy.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, days after the conclusion of the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in India, Pigott said the Quad continues to receive strong attention from the US leadership, noting that one of the first meetings held by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio after assuming office was with Quad partners.
'It's definitely a priority. I think as evidence of that, one of the first meetings the Secretary of State had, perhaps the first meeting, was actually with our Quad partners. The same day that he became Secretary of State,' Pigott said.
He added that the Quad is increasingly evolving into a 'results- and action-orientated group', highlighting a series of initiatives announced during the Secretary of State's recent visit to India, where he participated in the Quad meeting.
Pigott stated that these initiatives include cooperation on building 'ports of the future', securing supply chains, critical minerals collaboration, maritime domain awareness, and efforts to curb illegal industries.
'So we're seeing cooperation on so many elements, and the results here are so important, just like our strategic partnership with India, a results-driven, ambitious agenda that's about unleashing the potential that all of our nations want to see,' he said.
According to the Joint Statement issued after the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting on Tuesday in New Delhi, the sides announced a series of new initiatives aimed at strengthening critical minerals supply chains, boosting energy security, and enhancing maritime domain awareness across the Indo-Pacific region.
To advance the shared vision for fair and diversified critical minerals markets, the Quad partners announced the 'Quad Critical Minerals Framework', which will guide coordination among member countries in leveraging economic policy tools and investments, including cooperation with the private sector, to strengthen supply chains across mining, processing, and recycling.
In response to the 'disruptions to global markets for energy products and important downstream derivatives such as fertilisers fall heavily on the Indo-Pacific region', the Quad launched the 'Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security' to enhance cooperation on energy resilience. The initiative aims to ensure open and stable energy markets and promote diversified and secure supply chains across the region.
The joint statement emphasised that maintaining open trade flows in essential goods is critical for the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.
On maritime security, the Quad members reiterated the need for coordinated and forward-looking responses to emerging challenges.
The grouping welcomed India's operationalisation of the Indian Ocean Region programme under the Quad Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) through the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region in Gurugram and stated that it would work towards developing a 'Common Operational Picture' across the Indo-Pacific by building on existing IPMDA efforts.
The bloc also announced plans to strengthen maritime surveillance cooperation through the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC), initially focused on the Indian Ocean Region.
According to the statement, IPMSC will enable real-time information sharing among Quad partners and improve tracking of vessels, supporting what it called a 'free and open Indo-Pacific'.
The Quad also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting trusted and resilient infrastructure and announced plans to work with the Government of Fiji to develop port infrastructure and associated activities.
The meeting was chaired by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, along with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi.
Referring to Marco Rubio's visit to India, Pigott described it as 'historic', saying it produced several concrete outcomes, particularly in the area of critical minerals and economic cooperation.
'It truly was an historic trip,' he said.
'It was a trip that the Secretary enjoyed immensely. It was a trip that saw so many important moments. It was also a trip that saw those concrete outcomes, including further outcomes on critical mineral cooperation, for example. Making sure both our nations are best positioned to see that growth and opportunities that are coming in the modern world,' Pigott added.
He also noted that Rubio delivered an invitation from US President Donald Trump to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a visit to Washington DC, during the trip. (ANI)