India anchors Quad maritime security push

Atlanta, Oct 31 (IANS) An Indian Coast Guard (ICG) vessel carried representatives of all four Quad countries from Chennai to Perth in a completed maritime mission, as India, the United States, Japan and Australia outlined further exercises and pledged action on cyber scam networks and critical minerals supply chains.

The second Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer mission sailed from September 25 to October 7. The four countries described the voyage aboard an Indian Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel as a significant step towards strengthening their ability to work together against unlawful maritime activities.

Details were released after External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong in Atlanta on Saturday.

The partners said their first exercise under the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration initiative would take place at Sea Dragon 2027. The initiative seeks to improve information sharing and awareness of activities at sea.

They also announced the first Quad Maritime Domain Awareness Track 1.5 Symposium, to be held in early 2027 under the Quad Maritime Training Initiative, known as MAITRI.

The symposium will give regional partners a platform to discuss maritime monitoring approaches, technologies and information sharing.

The ministers linked maritime security to the uninterrupted movement of commerce and energy. They stressed the need to protect navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Their joint statement called for unhindered passage and the safety of maritime crews and vessels without tolls, consistent with international law as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

The cooperation also extends to disaster response. Australia, Japan and the United States will send observers to India’s annual joint humanitarian assistance and disaster relief exercise in November.

The four countries reported progress on standard operating procedures for the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network during a September tabletop exercise hosted by Japan’s Defence Ministry. They plan further work on shared disaster relief logistics at the next Rim of the Pacific exercise.

On transnational crime, the ministers expressed deep concern about online and cyber scams, describing them as a threat to national and international peace and security.

They condemned criminal groups that traffic people and force them to defraud citizens. These operations steal tens of billions of dollars annually from people in the four countries, the release said.

“The Quad countries committed to dismantling these operations and holding transnational criminal groups and their leaders accountable,” it said.

The release did not identify specific enforcement operations or set a timetable for action.

On economic security, the ministers welcomed a US commitment of $10 million to promote infrastructure and facilities in India and ASEAN countries that recover critical minerals from waste. The amount was not earmarked solely for India.

Quad countries are working together to recover minerals from discarded electronics and scrap materials to reduce reliance on any single supplier.

They welcomed private investment in waste collection networks, processing plants and refineries. They will also explore simpler export and import procedures for recyclable materials moving across borders, while strengthening the implementation of existing regulations.

The ministers expressed concern about economic coercion, arbitrary export restrictions and non-market practices that disrupt supply chains in critical industries.

The Atlanta talks were held on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Japan said the discussions lasted about 40 minutes and marked the Quad’s third ministerial meeting this year, following meetings in May and July.

The maritime surveillance initiative was announced by the four countries’ foreign ministers in New Delhi in May. The Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework was also announced that month. Both form part of the grouping’s cooperation towards a free and open Indo-Pacific.

--IANS

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