New Delhi: The Quad members on Tuesday condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations and called for decisive and sustained efforts to combat it.
During the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday, the member states — India, the US, Japan and Australia, stated that Quad remains concerned about the proliferation of online scam centres in Southeast Asia and surrounding regions which are connected to the spread of other transnational crime, including trafficking in persons, drug trafficking, sexual extortion, illicit financing, and other forms of cybercrime.
According to the joint statement released following the meeting, the Ministers announced that the Quad will deepen cooperation, particularly law enforcement and regulatory engagement, including strengthening partners’ ability to combat online scam centres and related transnational organised crime.
“We unequivocally condemn terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism and the horrific terrorist attacks perpetrated at Pahalgam in India on 22 April 2025, and Bondi Beach in Australia on 14 December 2025. We call for decisive and sustained international efforts to combat terrorism in accordance with international law, including action against globally proscribed terrorists and terror entities and their proxies, affiliates, sponsors and financiers,” the statement read.
“We are committed to working together with our international and regional partners in a comprehensive manner to strengthen their capacity to prevent, detect and respond to threats posed by terrorism, violent extremists who engage in violent, criminal, or terrorist acts and by the use of emerging technologies for terrorist purposes,” the ministers further stated.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi participated in the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.
The Foreign Ministers of the Quad nations reiterated their support for a free and open Indo-Pacific and agreed to further enhance cooperation and advance concrete initiatives to deliver tangible benefits to the Indo-Pacific.
The joint statement released following the meeting said, “We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and the South China Sea. We reiterate our strong opposition to any destabilising or unilateral actions, including by force or coercion, that threaten peace and stability in the region.”
“We express our serious concerns regarding dangerous and coercive actions, including interference with offshore resource development, the repeated obstruction of freedom of navigation and overflight, and the dangerous manoeuvres by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia vessels, especially the unsafe use of water cannons and flares, and ramming or blocking actions in the South China Sea. We are seriously concerned by the militarisation of disputed features,” it added.
The ministers discussed the situation in West Asia and reaffirmed their support for ongoing diplomatic efforts. They stressed the importance of adhering to international law as mentioned in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) with respect to navigational rights and freedoms, and the safety and uninterrupted flow of global commerce through the Strait of Hormuz and the Red Sea.
They condemned the attacks on commercial shipping vessels and oppose any measures that are inconsistent with UNCLOS, including the imposition of tolls.
(IANS)
