ATLANTA/NEW DELHI: With an eye on China, the meeting of the foreign ministers of the US, Australia, India and Japan in Atlanta, the US’ business and tech hub, on October 31 has infused a new energy into the Quad’s agenda to build reliable global supply chains of critical minerals.
The Quad ministers spoke in unison about key issues impacting peace and stability in the region and underlined their support for a free and open Indo-Pacific. Resisting Chinese economic coercion and enhancing coordination for economic security of the region dominated discussions of the Quad foreign ministers.
“They expressed grave concerns regarding economic coercion, including through arbitrary export restrictions, as well as non-market policies and practices that result in overcapacity to disrupt global supply chains in critical industries,” the joint statement said.
In a stock-taking exercise, India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar joined discussions in Atlanta with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong to chart the agenda for the Quad Leaders’ summit that is expected to be held on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Manila on November 16/17.
In a post on X after the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Atlanta, Dr Jaishankar outlined India’s priorities in the Quad. “Maintaining stability, driving prosperity and ensuring freedom of choice as our continuing commitments in the Indo-Pacific,” he said while calling for developing a more contemporary QUAD agenda with a practical approach. He highlighted the importance of deeper cooperation to strengthen supply chain resilience and ensure security in technology, critical minerals and energy.
The foreign ministers’ meeting culminated in a Quad joint statement on economic prosperity and security. Advancing the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework announced in May 2026, the ministers decided to bolster cooperation on critical mineral supply chains, working together to recover critical minerals from electronics waste and scrap materials to reduce reliance on any single supplier (read China). In this context, the US agreed to provide $10 million for infrastructure and facilities in India and ASEAN countries that recover critical minerals from waste.
The Quad decided to actively work with the Fiji government to accelerate infrastructure modernization projects for key ports at Suva, Lautoka, and Rokobili. The Quad countries will continue to be engaged in building infrastructure capability across the Indo-Pacific. To date, Quad countries have provided more than 2000 infrastructure fellowships across the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and South Asia providing critical skills to Indo-Pacific nations to support a stronger and more resilient region.
Looking ahead, the Quad ministers announced the first-ever Quad Business Leaders’ Forum that will convene industry leaders, government, and policy experts from Quad countries to foster greater ties across public and private sectors, including the promotion of commercial deals in key sectors. Quad export credit agencies will convene in Tokyo on November 18 to identify opportunities for practical cooperation.
The ministers expressed their intention to provide more than $85 million in technical and financial assistance to expand access to trusted artificial intelligence across the Indo-Pacific, including through the Quad SI Accelerator.
‘The four ministers finalized plans for the first exercise under the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration (IPMSC) during Sea Dragon 2027 and reviewed the conclusion of the second Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer mission (run Sept 25 – Oct 7). The ministers also addressed transnational cyber scam networks and praised India’s flood rescue support for Nepal.
The foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta held out the promise of a strengthened Quad and could help reverse the narrative about the Quad losing its momentum as no summit has been held more nearly two years. That’s why all eyes will be on the Quad summit in Manila.
Author Profile
- Manish Chand is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of India Writes Network (www.indiawrites.org) and India and World, a pioneering magazine focused on international affairs. He is CEO, Centre for Global India Insights, an India-based think tank focused on global affairs.
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