New Delhi [India], May 26 (ANI): As Indo-Pacific takes the centre stage in global affairs, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar highlighted the areas to focus upon for deepening partnerships among the Quad countries.

Calling the discussions productive at the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting, Jaishankar said that much of the discussions, and the bilateral exchanges, were devoted to the current state of the world.

'We've just concluded a very substantive and productive meeting of the Quad foreign ministers. Much of the discussions and indeed the bilateral exchanges were devoted to the current state of the world. Being QUAD, we naturally focused on issues of particular relevance to the Indo-Pacific. Because we are four maritime democracies located at different ends of the Indo-Pacific, the exchange of perspectives was an exercise of considerable value,' he said

Highlighting how the four nations are also market economies, the EAM urged for stronger economic resilience, strengthening supply chain and enhancing production capacities. The Quad member countries held discussions on deepening partnerships, securing supply chains and intensifying cooperation amongst themselves.

'The maritime domain has seen a steady expansion of collaboration, including surveillance and domain awareness, logistics network, undersea cables, training, capacity building and HADR activities. We will be continuing to deepen these areas in the times ahead. We spent some time on the question of safe and unimpeded maritime commerce and reaffirmed the significance of scrupulously observing international law. Our four nations are also market economies. We believe strongly that economic resilience should be promoted, the supply chains should be strengthened, trusted and secure technologies diffused, and production capacities enhanced. Our deliberations touched on the current energy and fertiliser availability,' he said.

The External affairs minister reiterated the common intention of showing zero tolerance to terrorism.

After Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting, EAM Dr S Jaishankar says, 'The Quad nations are open societies that foster innovation and creativity in our quest for growth and prosperity. These forces are strengthened when we undertake more exchanges as we intend to do. So, whether it is in business forums, healthcare initiatives, or digital activities, each facet of a joint effort makes the region that much better. As democratic nations, we also devoted attention to countering the common threat of terrorism. There must be zero tolerance for terrorism, and nations subject to terrorist attacks have the right to defend themselves,' he said.

'A free and open Indo-Pacific has many dimensions and facets. Our meeting today took stock of the progress in many of them while encouraging exploration in others. In the coming days, whether it is economic activity, energy trade or maritime commerce, the Indo-Pacific will become even more important to the world. The responsibilities of the Quad will grow commensurately, and we must prepare for that,' he added.

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)