New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi highlighted how Quad serves as an important platform towards advancing cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region and expressed optimism that the discussions at the Foreign Ministers' Meet would deepen collaboration between the partner countries.

Motegi made the remarks here in the national capital while speaking at the Quad Foreign Ministers Meet and said, 'This Quad meeting signifies the firm message to the world that Quad will strongly promote cooperation to realise free and open Indo-Pacific.'

He underlined how it is imperative for the Indo-Pacific nations to enhance their resilience and economic security and said, 'The Indo-Pacific nations should strengthen resilience and the necessary capacity to determine their own future, including economic security. Today, I hope for frank discussions, including accelerating the Quad collaboration.'

At the meeting, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar called for deepening collaborations to strengthen supply chain resilience, connectivity chokepoints, manufacturing and resource concentration and gaps in critical infrastructure.

He gave a call to enhance strategic confidence, ensure maritime security, promote economic choices, and foster a deeper collaborative ethos via the promotion of trusted and transparent partnerships to address the concerns of the Indo-Pacific.

Recalling how over the past several months, the partner countries have advanced collaboration across key core priorities, including maritime security, critical technologies, economic resilience and HADR, Jaishankar hailed 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', he said.

At the invitation of External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio are in New Delhi to participate in the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting today.

The summit builds directly on the framework established during their last gathering in Washington, D.C., on July 1, 2025. Discussions are expected to focus heavily on: Free and Open Indo-Pacific, reaffirming commitment to maritime security, freedom of navigation, and a rules-based order, evaluating progress on critical technology, climate resilience, and infrastructure delivery and exchanging perspectives on emerging security challenges in the region and broader international developments. (ANI)