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Japan on Tuesday gave a call to the countries of the Indo-Pacific for strengthening their resilience and highlighted how the Quad Foreign Ministers Meet advances cooperation between the partners.
Speaking after the Meet, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said that the leaders exchanged views on regional developments and agreed to strongly oppose attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion. He underlined how the energy security initiative to secure stable supply of energy in the Indo-Pacific region is a timely initiative and that the critical minerals initiative framework launched today is a very important step from the perspective of strengthening the supply chain of critical minerals, and we will proceed with concrete cooperation. "We would like to work together among the Quad to develop resilience and strengthen capacity and to promote cooperation that truly benefits this region", he said. Expressing concern over the export restrictions of critical minerals, Motegi added that discussions also took place on North Korea. "We discussed the North Korean situation, including nuclear and missile problems and cyber activities, and reaffirmed our commitment towards complete denuclearization of North Korea. I received support from the other three countries aiming to bring immediate solution to the abduction issue." He also spoke about the developments in West Asia and the Gulf region and underlined the importance of diplomacy for ensuring stability in the Strait of Hormuz and peace in the region. "As the Iranian situation imposes enormous impact on the Indo-Pacific region, energy supply viewpoint included, we confirmed the importance of diplomatic efforts in ensuring free and safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz as well as stability to be brought to the Middle East." At the invitation of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are in New Delhi to participate in the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting today. The summit builds directly on the framework established during their last gathering in Washington, D.C., on July 1, 2025. Discussions are expected to focus heavily on: Free and Open Indo-Pacific, reaffirming commitment to maritime security, freedom of navigation, and a rules-based order, evaluating progress on critical technology, climate resilience, and infrastructure delivery and exchanging perspectives on emerging security challenges in the region and broader international developments. (ANI)
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