Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi on Tuesday, 26 May said the Quad nations — India, Japan, Australia, and the United States — have agreed to strongly oppose any attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo through force or coercion. The declaration came at the conclusion of the Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting held in New Delhi, where all four foreign ministers addressed the press jointly.

Key Declarations from the Meeting

Speaking after the ministerial, Motegi said the gathering offered an opportunity to send what he called an 'unswerving and unshaken message' on regional security. 'Today's meeting gave us a good opportunity to send an unswerving and unshaken message that the Quad will advance the necessary concrete cooperation for this. Also today, through frank exchange of views, we were able to align our strategic perceptions on regional developments and agreed to strongly oppose attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by force or coercion,' he said.

The four ministers also reaffirmed their collective commitment to the complete denuclearisation of North Korea, with Motegi noting that nuclear and missile programmes as well as cyber activities linked to Pyongyang were discussed at length. He added that he received support from the other three nations on seeking an 'immediate solution to the abduction issue' — a longstanding Japanese diplomatic priority.

Critical Minerals and Supply Chain Concerns

The Quad nations expressed what Motegi described as 'deep concern' over export restrictions on critical minerals. He termed the Critical Minerals Initiative Framework 'very important' for reinforcing supply chain resilience across the Indo-Pacific. This concern reflects a broader global anxiety about chokepoints in the supply of materials essential to semiconductors, clean energy, and defence manufacturing.

Middle East Stability and Energy Security

Motegi emphasised that the Iranian situation carries 'an enormous impact on the Indo-Pacific region,' particularly from an energy supply perspective. The four nations confirmed the importance of diplomatic efforts to ensure free and safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and to bring stability to the Middle East. He linked this to Japan's Power Asia framework — a cooperation mechanism for procuring crude oil and petroleum products — and described the Energy Security Initiative as a 'timely initiative' for securing stable energy supply across the Indo-Pacific.

Quad's Growing Strategic Footprint

Motegi, who also participated in the inaugural Quad Foreign Ministerial in 2019, said he was encouraged by the progress of Quad cooperation since then, describing the grouping as the 'propellant for realising the Free and Open Indo-Pacific.' The New Delhi meeting marks a continued deepening of the Quad's agenda — from security and denuclearisation to supply chains and energy — reflecting its evolution from an informal strategic dialogue into a substantive multilateral platform. Notably, this is only the second in-person Quad Foreign Ministers' gathering, underscoring the grouping's accelerating institutionalisation.

The four nations said they would continue to promote cooperation projects aimed at building regional resilience and strengthening the capacity of Indo-Pacific countries to determine their own paths.