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US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor stated on Thursday that the Quad grouping remains united in deepening cooperation and driving tangible outcomes to foster a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Gor's remarks came after he met with Australia's High Commissioner to India Philip Green and Japan's Ambassador to India, Keiichi Ono, to review forthcoming Quad engagements. The Quad framework comprises four member states: India, Australia, Japan, and the United States, dedicated to operating as a force for global good while promoting an open, free, and inclusive Indo-Pacific that remains prosperous and resilient. "Productive discussions today with Australia's High Commissioner to India, Philip Green and Japan's Ambassador to India, Ono Keiichi, on upcoming Quad initiatives and meetings. Together with India, our four nations are aligned in advancing closer collaboration and delivering results for a free and open Indo-Pacific," Gor wrote in a post on X following the interaction. https://x.com/USAmbIndia/status/2087825941992964532?s=20 Last month, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio convened for the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila. During the meeting, the ministers reiterated their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific while underlining their firm backing for ASEAN unity and centrality within the region. In a joint declaration, EAM Jaishankar, Wong, Motegi, and Rubio highlighted the Quad's resolve towards regional prosperity and its partnership with ASEAN and its member nations. "As ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partners, we, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan, met today in Manila to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific and our unwavering support for ASEAN unity and centrality. We are deeply invested in the region's success and in cooperating with ASEAN and its member states," the joint statement issued after the Manila meeting read. The foreign ministers also addressed regional security issues and discussed ways to reinforce support for the "practical implementation" of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) through "shared priorities of maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response." The declaration emphasised that the Quad continues to stand united in its core belief that "peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region." (ANI)
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