Quad Nations Announce Energy Security Initiative at Delhi Meeting

Foreign ministers from India, Australia, Japan and the United States met in the Indian capital on Tuesday and announced an energy security initiative and a new Quad Fuel Security Forum. The statement called for unimpeded navigation and uninterrupted commerce through the Strait of Hormuz.

The ministers said the countries would coordinate during energy crises and disruptions to global fuel supplies. They also agreed to launch an Indo-Pacific maritime surveillance initiative to share near-real-time data on ship movements.

The four nations announced plans to partner with Fiji on port development, described by one minister as addressing insufficient capacity in Pacific island nations. China’s foreign ministry responded that it opposes bloc confrontation and exclusive cooperation arrangements.

Background The meeting followed U.S. military strikes on an Iranian naval base in the Strait of Hormuz, announced hours earlier. Iran had halted most non-Iranian shipping through the waterway after earlier U.S.-Israeli attacks, cutting roughly one-fifth of global oil and gas flows.

One minister said the U.S. Department of Energy would host the first gathering of the new forum later this year. Another minister noted the acute economic stress caused by the closure and welcomed diplomatic efforts to restore freedom of navigation.