SECRETARY RUBIO: Welcome. Well, thank you all for joining us here today. I'm reminded by my colleagues from India, Australia, and Japan that within an hour of becoming the Secretary of State of the United States, this was my first meeting. So we like to do these every six months, right, every five months. But we're honored to host them here today in this very important partnership that has developed over the years and that I think has really taken wing in the last few months, and that we want to continue to build on.
These are very important countries. These are very important strategic partners and allies of the United States, and together we have a lot of shared priorities - a lot of things we care about in the world. I think there are many global problems but also problems that we face in our respective countries that can be solved by us cooperating together.
One of the challenges upon coming - although this is a great partnership and a great forum in which to discuss these issues - one of the challenges has been - with something new like this - is turning meetings and gatherings where we talk about ideas and concepts into a vehicle for action, into a vehicle for actually being able to take concrete actions. And that's the next step in this great partnership, is to actually begin to see concrete actions and steps being taken in conjunction with one another, in coordination with one another, in partnership with one another for the benefit of our respective countries and ultimately of many other countries in the world. There are many countries that are going to benefit from this partnership even though they're not members of it.
And it's not simply a security matter. It's largely, in many cases, about economic development. In fact, later today, we'll be hosting here in this building a number of companies - I think over 30 or 40 companies was the last count representing all four of our countries - companies that are doing businesses in these countries, or who are domiciled in these counties, and who are going to be visiting here to talk about things we can work together on.
And there are many topics that we can work on and focus on. One that I've personally been very focused on is diversifying the global supply chain of critical minerals - not just access to the raw material but also access to the ability to process and refine it to useable material. It's critical for all technologies and for all industries across the board. And so having a diverse and reliable global supply chain of these is just one example of many that we can focus on and build upon and achieve some real progress on.
So that's the hope for this partnership. That's why it's so important to host it here today. And in addition to the bilateral relationships we have with each of the three partner nations that are here, it's also important within this forum to turn it into one where we begin to focus on specific issues that we want to work together on and begin to deliver action on those issues. And today's the next step in that process. It's an honor to host them.
And now I'm going to ask the - my - become a friend; I've seen him a number of times now in just six months on the job. And I was just telling him how much he travels. I follow the news. And he's - every time I see, he's somewhere else in the world. He's been very busy, but my colleague from India, who will be followed by my colleague from Australia, and then of course Japan, who I've also seen quite a number of times. I've - in fact, I've seen you more than my own children - (laughter) - because he's at all - some of the same forums that we've been on, and it's been an important partnership as well.
So I'm grateful to all of you for being here today. Welcome to the State Department. Welcome to Washington. And I look forward to visiting you and your respective countries as well, and for the progress that we're making together in this very, very important partnership and the forum that we've created. So thank you, thank you.
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS MINISTER JAISHANKAR: Thank you. I'm very pleased to be back in D.C. for the second time this year for a Quad foreign ministers meeting. And let me begin by saying that we're all committed to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific. To that end, our endeavors are devoted to promoting a rules-based international order. It is essential that nations of the Indo-Pacific have the freedom of choice so essential to make right decisions on development and security.
In the last few months, we have made significant progress in Quad initiatives. They include the maritime domain, logistics, education, and political coordination. We will be discussing that in greater detail. The working on the Quad has also been made more efficient through streamlining the working groups - a more cohesive, nimble, and focused Quad will certainly help deliver better.
Quad is about deepening our convergence and expanding our common ground. I value our consultations on different dimensions of the Indo-Pacific in that regard. A lot is happening in the world, and I'm sure that our exchange of views will be very valuable for all of us.
A word about terrorism in the light of our recent experience: The world must display zero tolerance, victims and perpetrators must never be equated, and India has every right to defend its people against terrorism - and we will exercise that right. We expect our Quad partners to understand and appreciate that.
India plans to host the next Quad summit. We have some proposals on how to make that productive. I'm sure so do our partners. We will discuss, and I'm sure we will agree.
Once again, I thank Secretary Rubio for hosting us today, and I look forward to our discussions. Thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER WONG: Thanks very much. It's really wonderful to be back here in Washington. It was such an honor to be asked, be invited to attend the inauguration of President Trump in January and to attend it with my colleagues from India and Japan. And Secretary Rubio, it was indeed your first - your first few hours of being Secretary of State. It was such an honor to meet with you, and I look forward. Thank you for the engagement over particularly this last little period with the Middle East, and then obviously we look forward to your visit to the ASEAN set of meetings in our region.
We are - we understand how important this partnership is. It is such an important partnership for the world, it's such an important partnership for our region, it's such an important partnership for the countries represented. The importance of our partnership is highlighted by the urgency of the strategic challenges that we all face. In his testimony to his confirmation hearings, the Secretary spoke about the future of the 21st century being made in this region, being shaped in this region. And Australia agrees.
This is a very important Quad meeting, as always. And unfortunately we meet against the backdrop of conflict and of escalating competition. So it has never been more important for us to harness our collective strength and peace for stability, for prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and for all our peoples.
These four countries represent nearly a quarter of the world's population and over a third of global GDP. We are independent, sovereign nations. We bring our own perspectives, our own interests. And we also know this: that we are stronger when we work together. Whether it's when we respond to emergencies, as we did when we together mobilized quickly to support communities affected by the deadly earthquakes in Myanmar; or all cooperating on issues which are critical to the region's security and prosperity, such as technology, supply chains, and maritime security - practical cooperation, which is all designed to make all of us safer in a region which continues to change.
I'm very grateful to be hosted again by the Secretary for this, our second Quad meeting in six months, and I look forward to the discussion today. Thank you.
FOREIGN MINISTER IWAYA: (Via interpreter) Today, I am pleased to convene the second Quad foreign ministers meeting of this year, thanks to Marco's initiative. The previous foreign ministers meeting in January took place just a few hours after Marco's first day at the State Department, and I believe that sent a positive and a strong message to the international community.
The fact that the four foreign ministers are once again gathering here in Washington, D.C. only six months later demonstrates the strength of the unity and the importance of the Quad.
Currently, there is turmoil in the Middle East and in Europe. The Indo-Pacific region, where our four countries are located, is the growth engine of the global economy, accounting for more than half of the world's population. With this, the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region are essential for the prosperity of international community. The four countries, as major powers in the region, have an important role to play in ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
Today, I'm looking forward to engaging in in-depth strategic discussions on the current international situation. Additionally, we will exchange views on future cooperation that will benefit countries in the region in order to advance the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific. Thank you very much.
