Quad Foreign Ministers on Saturday called for preserving navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait against the backdrop of tensions in Middle East.
The initiative was announced in May by the Secretary and Foreign Ministers in New Delhi to enhance information sharing and maritime domain awareness,” the joint statement read. At the Quad meeting in Atlanta, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Foreign Ministers from Japan and Australia, Toshimitsu Motegi and Penny Wong, respectively. With Quad’s focus on the Indo-Pacific region, they stated that the four nations look forward to the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration initiative at Sea Dragon 2027, which was announced during the meeting in May in New Delhi. “The Quad countries look forward to holding their first exercise under the Indo-Pacific Maritime Surveillance Collaboration initiative at Sea Dragon 2027.
“Recognising the importance of critical sea lanes, the uninterrupted flow of commerce, energy security, and the unhindered passage and safety of maritime crews and vessels without the imposition of tolls, they reiterated the absolute necessity to protect and preserve navigational rights and freedoms in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait in accordance with international law as reflected in UNCLOS,” the statement read. The Quad countries also announced, “the first Quad Maritime Domain Awareness Track 1.5 Symposium under the Quad Maritime Training Initiative (MAITRI) in early 2027, which will provide a platform for regional partners to discuss MDA approaches, technologies, and information sharing.”
