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New Delhi: The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which people usually call the Quad talked about some ideas on maritime security, critical minerals and energy cooperation when the foreign ministers met in New Delhi on Tuesday. This meeting was important because there are a lot of worries about what’s happening in the Indo-Pacific area and how it affects shipping and supply chains.

The External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar met with some important people, like US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi at Hyderabad House for the 11th Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting.

Maritime Security is a Big Deal

The Quad said in a statement that they want to keep the Indo-Pacific area free and open and they want to make sure that ships can sail through the area without any problems. This is an issue because there are concerns that problems in West Asia could affect the ships that travel through the Strait of Hormuz which is a really important route for oil and other energy supplies.

To make the area safer the Quad started the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Cooperation Initiative. This program will help the Quad countries share information and keep an eye on the area so they can work together better.

After the meeting Rubio said that almost 60 percent of the world’s trade goes through the Indo-Pacific area so it is really important to keep the area stable for trade and economic security. The Quad is talking about security because it is a big part of what they do.

New Plans for Critical Minerals and Energy Cooperation

The Quad ministers also talked about a Critical Minerals Framework, which will help them get the materials they need for things like semiconductors, electric batteries and defense manufacturing. They want to make sure they have a supply of these important minerals.

The Quad also started an Indo-Pacific Energy Security initiative, which will help the countries in the region work together on energy issues. They also said they will work on a port infrastructure project in Fiji, which is part of the “Ports of the Future Partnership”. The Quad is working on energy cooperation because it is important for the countries in the area.

China’s Influence is Still a Concern

Even though China was not mentioned directly in the statement experts think that the Quads new initiatives are a way to balance China’s growing influence in the Indo-Pacific area. The ministers also talked about issues, like cybercrime, terrorism and illegal fishing and how they can work together to make the area more stable.

The Quad has been around since 2017. It is still an important platform, for India, the United States, Japan and Australia to work together on big issues. The Quad is working on these issues because they are important for the countries involved.