Jaishankar reiterates commitment to free Indo-Pacific at Quad meeting

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Wednesday reaffirmed India's commitment to a "free and open Indo-Pacific" with ASEAN at its core, as the foreign ministers of the Quad grouping met in Manila to review regional developments and deepen cooperation on security, economic resilience and emerging technologies.

The meeting, attended by Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, came on the sidelines of ASEAN-related ministerial meetings in the Philippine capital.

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"Glad to participate in the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting in Manila. Reviewed the Indo-Pacific landscape and discussed recent developments. Followed up on the outcomes of the recent New Delhi meeting," Jaishankar said in a post on social media.

"Committed to a free and open Indo-Pacific with a recognition of ASEAN centrality," he said.

The Manila meeting followed the last Quad foreign ministers' meeting held in New Delhi in late May, when Rubio travelled to India.

In a joint statement, the four ministers reaffirmed the Quad's commitment to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific and expressed their "unwavering support" for ASEAN's unity and central role in the regional architecture.

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"We are deeply invested in the region's success and in cooperating with ASEAN and its member states," the statement said.

The ministers also reviewed regional challenges and opportunities to strengthen implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), with discussions focusing on maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and disaster response.

"We are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region," the statement said.

The meeting took place amid growing strategic competition in the Indo-Pacific and increasing Chinese military assertiveness in the region, with the Quad continuing to position itself as a grouping that supports a rules-based order, freedom of navigation and regional stability.