New Delhi, May 26 (IANS) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday that India, Japan, Australia and the US, as maritime democracies, pluralistic societies and market economies, share the responsibility towards a free and open Indo-Pacific, while stressing that the region must remain a driver for global growth and stability.

In his opening remarks at the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, EAM Jaishankar stated, "Meeting for the third time in less than 18 months, we will be discussing and deciding our shared activities. Obviously, that will take into account the many challenges and opportunities in the world. Our focus will clearly be on the Indo-Pacific, which is the specific limit of the Quad."

EAM Jaishankar said that the ministers need to address supply chain resilience, connectivity choke points, manufacturing and resource concentrations and gaps in critical infrastructure.

He stated that officials of the Quad in the past several months have advanced collaboration across key core priorities, including maritime security, critical technologies, economic resilience and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR).

"At the global level, we have to address supply chain resilience, connectivity choke points, manufacturing and resource concentrations and gaps in critical infrastructure. Each one of them offers a new argument for more partnerships, stronger growth and realising the promise of technologies. The Indo-Pacific has, in addition, its own particular concerns. This will require enhancing strategic confidence, ensuring maritime security, promoting economic choices, and fostering a deeper collaborative ethos, and that is best done by promoting trusted and transparent partnerships," EAM Jaishankar said.

"Over the past several months, our officials have advanced collaboration across key core priorities, including maritime security, critical technologies, economic resilience and HADR. We have seen encouraging progress on many initiatives. As maritime democracies, pluralistic societies and market economies, we share the responsibility towards a free and open Indo-Pacific. The region must remain a driver for global growth and stability. We will be underlining that today, through our deliberations, which I am confident will be useful and productive," he added.

The Quad comprises Australia, India, Japan and the United States, and focuses on strengthening cooperation across key sectors including maritime security, resilient supply chains, critical minerals, infrastructure development, disaster relief and emerging technologies.

Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are attending the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting.

--IANS

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