The text of the following statement was released by the Foreign Minister of Australia, the External Affairs Minister of India, the Foreign Minister of Japan, and the Secretary of State of the United States of America on the occasion of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi, India.
1. We, the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India, and Japan and the Secretary of State of the United States of America, met in New Delhi on 26 May 2026 for the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting hosted by India.
2. We convene at a time of not only great challenges, but also unprecedented opportunities. In the midst of conflicts, geopolitical tensions, and strains on global supply chains, we reaffirm that peace, stability, and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific hinges on upholding international law, and the peaceful resolution of disputes. We reaffirm our commitment to defending the rule of law, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. We recognize the immense potential of innovation, emerging technologies, and trusted partnerships to drive economic prosperity across the Indo-Pacific and beyond. We strongly oppose any destabilizing or unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo, including by force or coercion, which escalate tensions and undermine regional peace and stability.
3. We affirm our support for a free and open Indo-Pacific that allows countries to develop resilience and strengthen capacity to determine their own paths. To that end, we concur on further enhancing cooperation and advancing concrete initiatives to deliver tangible benefits to the region.
4. Developments in key maritime regions have underscored the vulnerability of critical sea lanes and the risks posed to the uninterrupted flow of commerce. These challenges carry significant implications for the Indo-Pacific, which remains central to global trade and connectivity. Disruptions to maritime transport and supply chains have far-reaching consequences for global fuel, food and fertilizer security as well as the safety of seafarers.
5. We discussed the situation in the Middle East and reaffirm our support for ongoing diplomatic efforts and hope for lasting peace in the region. We reiterate the importance of adhering to international law as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with respect to navigational rights and freedoms, and the safety and uninterrupted flow of global commerce through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea. We condemn the attacks on commercial shipping vessels and oppose any future measures that are inconsistent with UNCLOS, including imposition of tolls.
6. We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. We reiterate our strong opposition to any destabilizing or unilateral actions including by force or coercion that threaten peace and stability in the region. We express our serious concerns regarding dangerous and coercive actions, including interference with offshore resource development, the repeated obstruction of freedom of navigation and overflight, and the dangerous maneuvers by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia vessels, especially the unsafe use of water cannons and flares, and ramming or blocking actions in the South China Sea. We are seriously concerned by the militarization of disputed features.
7. We emphasize the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea, and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law, as reflected in UNCLOS. We re-affirm that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with UNCLOS, and reiterate that the award rendered ten years ago by the Arbitral Tribunal is a significant milestone and the basis for peacefully resolving disputes between the parties.
8. We reaffirm our commitment to the complete denuclearization of North Korea in accordance with relevant UNSCRs and urge North Korea to abide by all its obligations under the relevant UNSCRs. We condemn North Korea’s unlawful development of ballistic missiles and weapons of mass destruction. We also express grave concern over North Korea’s malicious cyber activities, and IT worker activities, which fund North Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs. We will continue to support efforts to address contraventions of North Korea-related UNSCRs. We urge all UN Member States to abide by their international obligations under the UNSCRs to implement sanctions, including the prohibition on the transfer to North Korea or procurement from North Korea of all arms and related materiel. We express deep concern about countries that are deepening military cooperation with North Korea, which directly undermines the global non-proliferation regime. We reconfirm the necessity of immediate resolution of the abductions issue.
9. As we advance our shared objectives for the region, our cooperation with and support for ASEAN centrality and unity, and the ASEAN-led regional architecture, the Pacific Islands Forum and Pacific-led regional groupings, and the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA) remain unwavering.
10. We remain concerned by the continuing conflict in Myanmar and its impact on the region. We reaffirm our support for ASEAN’s efforts and call for the immediate cessation of violence; the release of those unjustly detained; a conducive environment for the delivery of humanitarian assistance; and dialogue between all parties and affected groups involved in the conflict. We are also concerned about the impact of the crisis on regional security and the spread of transnational crimes.
11. The Quad partners remain committed to working with regional partners, to address these wide-ranging challenges through tangible initiatives focused on the four key pillars of maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response. Through these practical initiatives, we continue to deliver tangible benefits to the Indo-Pacific region.
Maritime and Transnational Security
12. Addressing maritime security challenges requires coordinated, agile, and forward-looking responses. We welcome India’s operationalization of the Indian Ocean Region program of the Quad Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) through the Information Fusion Centre – Indian Ocean Region in Gurugram. We will work to develop a Common Operational Picture (COP) across the Indo-Pacific by drawing upon the existing IPMDA efforts. We will further strengthen our contribution to regional maritime domain awareness by coordination of maritime surveillance efforts through the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC) initially in the Indian Ocean Region as well as through subject matter expert exchanges and tabletop exercises. IPMSC, with integration of latest technological developments, will augment IPMDA by enabling Quad partners to share real-time information and provide an enhanced picture of vessels in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
13. Following the success of the first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission from Palau to Guam in July 2025, India will host the next edition of the Mission to strengthen interoperability and knowledge-sharing to best address unlawful maritime activities across the region.
14. We unequivocally condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism and the horrific terrorist attacks perpetrated at Pahalgam in India on 22 April 2025, and Bondi Beach in Australia on 14 December 2025. We call for decisive and sustained international efforts to combat terrorism in accordance with international law, including action against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities and their proxies, affiliates, sponsors and financiers. We are committed to working together with our international and regional partners in a comprehensive manner to strengthen their capacity to prevent, detect and respond to threats posed by terrorism, violent extremists who engage in violent, criminal, or terrorist acts and by the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes.
15. The Quad remains deeply concerned about the proliferation of online scam centers within Southeast Asia and surrounding regions which are linked to the spread of other transnational crime, including trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, sexual extortion, illicit financing, and other forms of cybercrime. We will deepen cooperation, particularly law enforcement and regulatory engagement including strengthening partners’ ability to combat online scam centers and associated transnational organized crime.
Economic Prosperity and Security
16. We acknowledge that economic security is fundamental to Quad partners and the Indo-Pacific region, and commit to deepening economic security cooperation and develop key initiatives to support a resilient and prosperous region. We reiterate our grave concerns over the use of economic coercion and non-market policies and practices including arbitrary export restrictions, price manipulation, and disruptions particularly on critical minerals that impact global supply chains and critical industrial sectors. We underscore the importance of diversified and reliable global supply chains and the need to avoid reliance on any one country.
17. To advance our vision for fair and diversified critical minerals markets, we are pleased to announce the Quad Critical Minerals Framework, which will guide how Quad partners can leverage economic policy tools and coordinate, including in concert with the private sector, investment to strengthen critical minerals supply chains, including in mining, processing, and recycling.
18. Disruptions to global markets for energy products and important downstream derivatives such as fertilizers, fall heavily on the Indo-Pacific region. Recognizing shifts in the global energy landscape, we are launching the Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security to cooperate on energy security and resilience. Quad partners will work together to ensure open, well-functioning and stable energy markets, and resilient and diversified supply chains. Maintaining open trade flows in essential goods is critical for the security and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific region.
19. The Quad is committed to supporting trusted and resilient infrastructure. Following the successful Quad Ports of the Future Partnership Conference hosted by India in October 2025, which was aimed at advancing the Quad vision for resilient and secure ports, we are proud to announce that the Quad countries will work, in coordination with the Government of Fiji, to advance port infrastructure and associated activities in the country.
20. We recognize that trusted undersea cable systems are the backbone of the global digital economy and essential to secure, reliable, and resilient connectivity across the Indo-Pacific. We also emphasize the need to protect undersea cable networks from risks, including threats and sabotage, through closer coordination and information sharing. In this regard, Quad partners have provided tangible support to ensure that all Pacific Island Forum countries are connected via undersea cables by 2026 to secure their digital futures. We will continue to explore opportunities to support future undersea cable connections, in the region to further provide trusted redundancy. We welcome ongoing efforts under the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, including the Wavelength Forum hosted in New Delhi in July 2025, which brought together governments and industry to advance cooperation in strengthening cable infrastructure.
Critical and Emerging Technology
21. Trusted collaboration in critical and emerging technologies underpins our ability to protect security interests, strengthen supply chains, and sustain competitive, strong economies. We reaffirm our commitment to building secure, resilient digital ecosystems and supporting next-generation technologies, including 5G, 6G, and AI. In this context, we recognize that open, and interoperable architectures built on sound technical standards can help enhance network security and foster innovation, and reduce reliance on single-vendor systems. Quad countries will advance work in the coming months on next-generation communications standards; a workshop on digital identity standards; and a Track 1.5 on standards workforce development.
22. The Quad welcomes Pax Silica as a pillar of our shared economic security agenda. We recognize that AI represents a transformative force for our long-term prosperity — and reliable supply chains are indispensable to securing its benefits. We welcome efforts to deepen partnership across the full technology stack, from critical minerals and advanced manufacturing to compute, semiconductors, and trusted networks. Together, we welcome efforts to advance a comprehensive economic partnership grounded in trust, technological complementarity, and a shared commitment to lasting prosperity.
23. Quad partners reaffirmed the importance of biomanufacturing and committed to strengthening collaboration with trusted stakeholders to ensure strong and resilient key pharmaceuticals supply chains.
Humanitarian Assistance and Emergency Response
24. The Quad reaffirms its shared commitment to advancing practical cooperation on Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad has made significant progress in strengthening interoperability and information sharing and we will continue to deepen our engagement with regional partners and relevant international organizations to enhance rapid response capabilities and improve coordination mechanisms to ensure timely, effective disaster response across the Indo-Pacific.
25. We continue to exchange information and coordinate responses during disaster situations across the Indo-Pacific. Partners coordinated responses to the Enga landslide in Papua New Guinea (2024) and the Myanmar earthquake (2025), demonstrating Quad commitment to practical support and cooperation. The tabletop exercise (TTX) and Strategic Working Group meeting in Honolulu in 2025 significantly enhanced collective preparedness and response capacities. The development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), post-crisis review mechanisms, and strategic communications frameworks have advanced Quad HADR cooperation.
26. We reaffirm our commitment to strengthening Quad health security cooperation across the Indo-Pacific to better prepare for and respond to future health emergencies. We will work together with regional partners to advance resilient health infrastructure that promotes the well-being of the people and prosperity in the entire region.
27. We welcome the continued progress of the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN), launched as a pilot initiative at the Quad Leaders’ Summit in 2024, to leverage shared logistics capabilities to support civilian response to large-scale natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Indo-Pacific to save lives, boost recovery efforts, and provide support for regional partners. Building on the successful conduct of a TTX in April 2025 and a Field Training Exercise during Operation Christmas Drop in December 2025, we intend to further operationalize the IPLN through a structured series of engagements, including a second TTX to be hosted in Japan in 2026. These efforts will support the development of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to facilitate multi-modal logistics coordination, and enhance capabilities in staging, sustainment, and operations.
28. As four leading democracies and maritime nations, we remain committed to a region where all countries can prosper free from coercion. We look forward to the convening of the Quad Leaders’ Summit, the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and continuing our engagements that advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
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