New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): The foreign ministers of the Quad grouping (India, the United States, Japan and Australia) on Tuesday unveiled a broad set of initiatives focused on critical technologies, energy security, resilient supply chains and humanitarian cooperation during their meeting in New Delhi.

In the joint statement issued after the meeting, the ministers said 'Trusted collaboration in critical and emerging technologies underpins our ability to protect security interests, strengthen supply chains, and sustain competitive, strong economies.'

The Quad reaffirmed its commitment to 'building secure, resilient digital ecosystems' and advancing next-generation technologies, including 5G, 6G and artificial intelligence. The grouping also stressed the importance of 'open, and interoperable architectures built on sound technical standards' to improve network security, foster innovation, and reduce dependence on 'single-vendor systems.'

The ministers announced that Quad countries would advance work in the coming months on 'next-generation communications standards,' a workshop on digital identity standards, and a Track 1.5 dialogue on standards workforce development.

A major focus of the statement was economic security and resilient supply chains. The Quad said it had '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.'

The grouping announced the launch of the 'Quad Critical Minerals Framework,' aimed at coordinating investments and economic policy tools to strengthen supply chains in mining, processing and recycling of critical minerals.

On energy security, the ministers announced the 'Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security,' saying disruptions to global energy markets and fertiliser supply chains disproportionately affect the Indo-Pacific region. The statement emphasised the importance of 'open, well-functioning and stable energy markets' and resilient supply chains.

The Quad also highlighted new infrastructure cooperation, announcing that member countries would work with the government of Fiji to advance port infrastructure projects following the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership Conference hosted by India in 2025.

On digital connectivity, the ministers underscored the importance of 'trusted undersea cable systems' as 'the backbone of the global digital economy.' The statement warned of risks, including 'threats and sabotage' to cable infrastructure and noted that Quad partners had supported efforts to ensure all Pacific Islands Forum countries are connected through undersea cables by 2026.

The Quad also expanded cooperation in humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR), reaffirming its commitment to improving interoperability and rapid response coordination across the Indo-Pacific.

The statement highlighted coordination during the 2024 Enga landslide in Papua New Guinea and the 2025 earthquake in Myanmar as examples of practical Quad cooperation.

In the technology sector, the statement welcomed 'Pax Silica' as 'a pillar of our shared economic security agenda,' emphasising cooperation across 'the full technology stack, from critical minerals and advanced manufacturing to compute, semiconductors, and trusted networks.'

The Quad also reaffirmed the importance of biomanufacturing and pledged to strengthen collaboration with trusted stakeholders to build resilient pharmaceutical supply chains across the Indo-Pacific. (ANI)