The Quad foreign ministers’ meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday is poised to announce significant measures under the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, launched last year, to strengthen economic security through diversification of supply chains.

The joint statement, which diplomats from Australia, India, Japan and the United States were finalising on Monday, is expected to highlight steps aimed at countering China’s dominance in critical minerals and preventing any potential weaponisation of its resources. This initiative, spearheaded by Washington, reflects the grouping’s determination to reduce vulnerabilities in strategic sectors.

The discussions will also encompass energy security, with particular attention to the volatile situation in the Strait of Hormuz, alongside maritime and transnational security, humanitarian assistance, and emergency response in the Indo-Pacific.

The meeting comes at a time when prospects for a Quad summit in India remain uncertain. Despite New Delhi’s repeated attempts over the past three years to host such a summit, concerns persist about President Donald Trump’s evolving approach to US-China relations.

Nevertheless, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, following his bilateral meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday, expressed confidence that the ministers would have a “good, strong” story to present after their deliberations.

Although the ministerial meeting is taking place after a gap of eleven months, cooperation at the operational level has continued steadily. Workshops and technical exchanges have been held on issues such as counterterrorism, ensuring that momentum in collaboration has not been lost.

The Indian government last year also noted remarks by then ambassador-designate Sergio Gor during his confirmation hearing, where he reaffirmed Trump’s commitment to convening a Quad leaders’ meeting and strengthening the strategic grouping as a bulwark against threats to a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The joint statement from the last ministerial in July 2025 had been particularly significant for India, as it strongly condemned cross-border terrorism in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The statement had called for perpetrators, organisers and financiers to be brought to justice without delay, urging all UN member states to cooperate actively with relevant authorities. Official sources have indicated that the Quad ministers will once again reinforce their commitment to jointly combating terrorism during this meeting.

The upcoming statement is also expected to underline the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, as well as unimpeded commerce, in accordance with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.

This emphasis will be particularly relevant to developments in the South and East China Seas, where tensions have been rising. The ministers are further anticipated to review progress in their agenda for cooperation across four priority areas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response.

These discussions will serve to consolidate the Quad’s role as a strategic partnership among like-minded democracies, committed to ensuring stability and resilience in the Indo-Pacific.

Agencies