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US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, on his first day in office on Tuesday, hosted the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan for a significant meeting of the QUAD alliance between the four nations, emphasising the commitment of the alliance in strengthening economic opportunity and ensuring peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region.
"On day one as Secretary of State, I hosted the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan for an important meeting of the Quad. We are committed to strengthening economic opportunity and peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region," the US Secretary of State said, taking to X. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio held the meeting with his Quad counterparts--External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japan's Takeshi Iwaya, and Australia's Penny Wong--at the US Department of State. Earlier in a joint statement, the Foreign ministers from Quad countries reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific where "sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld and defended." The Quad nations also expressed strong opposition "to any unilateral actions aimed at changing the status quo through force or coercion." "We, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan, met today in Washington DC to reaffirm our shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty, and territorial integrity are upheld and defended," according to the joint statement shared by the Secretary of State of the United States. "Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability, and security in all domains, including the maritime domain, underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific," the statement added. Further, the Quad nations are "committed to strengthening regional maritime, economic, and technology security in the face of increasing threats, as well as promoting reliable and resilient supply chains." The Quad foreign ministers also stated that they were looking forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months as the nations prepare for the next Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by India. "We look forward to advancing the work of the Quad in the coming months and will meet together on a regular basis as we prepare for the next Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by India," the statement added. (ANI)
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