Quad Calls For Punishing Perpetrators Of Pahalgam Attack

In a joint statement issued at the end of the meeting of the foreign ministers of the four-nation grouping in Washington on Tuesday, the Quad condemned the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22and pitched for action against cross-border terrorism without mentioning India's counter terror step in the form of Operation Sindoor. The meeting was attended by External Affairs Minister Dr S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Mr Marco Rubio, Australian FM Ms Penny Wong and Japan FM Mr Takeshi Iwaya.

“The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renews our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation. We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, while injuring several others. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extend our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery to all those injured. We call for the perpetrators, organizers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSCRs, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard,” the FMs said without naming Pakistan in their statement.

Crisis in Myanmar and the situation in the East and South China Sea also figured in the statement as the ministers stressed that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international laws. The ministers said they remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea and reiterated “strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.” They stressed the need to counter foreign efforts to push false narratives and interfere with Quad interests in the Indo-Pacific.

Already having disputes with Vietnam, Malaysia and Philippines, China recently set up large steel cages and former oil drilling rig in the Yellow Sea triggering apprehension in South Korea that these may be for military use, though China has claimed these are for fishing purposes.

“We express our serious concerns regarding dangerous and provocative actions, including interference with offshore resource development, the repeated obstruction of the freedoms of navigation and overflight, and the dangerous maneuvers by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia vessels, especially the unsafe use of water cannons and ramming or blocking actions in the South China Sea. These actions threaten peace and stability in the region. We are seriously concerned by the militarization of disputed features. We emphasize the importance of upholding freedom of navigation and overflight, other lawful uses of the sea, and unimpeded commerce consistent with international law, as reflected in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),” the ministers said without naming China. They asserted that maritime disputes must be resolved peacefully and in accordance with international law.

The Quad foreign ministers also voiced deep concern over the "abrupt constriction and future reliability" of key supply chains, specifically for critical minerals, in an apparent reference to China's policy on the matter.

"This includes the use of non-market policies and practices for critical minerals, certain derivative products, and mineral processing technology," the Quad ministers said in joint statement and underscored the importance of diversified and reliable global supply chains saying reliance on any one country exposes industries to economic coercion, price manipulation, and supply chain disruptions, which further harms economic and national security.

The Quad meeting, called to firm up a broad agenda for the its annual summit in India later this year, also announced the grouping's plan to launch a Quad Ports of the Future partnership in Mumbai during October. This will be a transportation and logistics conference with Indo-Pacific partners. The conference will increase knowledge, facilitate dialogue, and exchange experiences on advanced ports and logistics practices; and mobilize government and private sector investments in quality port infrastructure development.

The Quad Foreign Ministers also announced the launch of the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, an ambitious expansion of partnership these four nations to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating on securing and diversifying critical mineral supply chains. “This new flagship initiative will enable our four countries to bring economic opportunity and prosperity to our people and the region,” the leaders said.

The Quad is expanding maritime law enforcement cooperation with the region, which will support efforts to curtail illicit maritime activity, including piracy, drug trafficking, infringements on border security, and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing.