New Delhi
India, Australia, Japan and the United States on Tuesday reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening energy security and stability in the Indo-Pacific, announcing plans to hold a Quad Fuel Security Forum aimed at boosting cooperation in the sector.
The announcement was made in the Quad Statement on Indo-Pacific Energy Security released by the Ministry of External Affairs.
According to the statement, the four countries will collaborate under the Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security in areas such as technology, policy coordination, energy management, international market analysis and emergency response exercises through a structured engagement plan.
As part of the initiative, the Quad members intend to convene a Quad Fuel Security Forum to facilitate high-level discussions and expand cooperation while leveraging the individual strengths and resources of each country’s energy sector, including efforts to reinforce strategic petroleum reserves.
“We recognise impacts of disruptions to global markets, particularly in relation to oil, gas, petrochemical products, essential goods and critical downstream derivatives such as fertilisers, which fall heavily on the Indo-Pacific region,” the statement said.
The Quad countries said their leaders have expressed a collective commitment to enhancing energy resilience and ensuring stable and transparent energy markets.
The grouping also underlined the importance of secure and uninterrupted trade flows, protection of critical maritime routes and infrastructure, and freedom of navigation as essential pillars of global economic stability and energy security.
The statement specifically stressed the need to ensure uninterrupted global commerce through key waterways, including the Strait of Hormuz, while opposing any restrictive actions that could disrupt commercial shipping.
The Quad members highlighted several regional initiatives that contribute to energy resilience, including Japan’s Partnership on Wide Energy and Resources Resilience (POWERR Asia), India’s energy support initiatives in South Asia, and Australia’s assistance to Southeast Asia and Pacific nations through mechanisms such as the USD 2 billion Southeast Asia Investment Financing Facility, Australian Development Investments and support for the ASEAN Power Grid.
Australia’s financial assistance to Pacific island nations, including AUD 30 million in budgetary support to Fiji, was also acknowledged.
The four countries emphasised the need for cooperation across the entire energy value chain and recognised the particular vulnerabilities faced by small island developing nations in ensuring reliable energy supplies.
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In view of continuing volatility in global energy markets, the Quad members urged all stakeholders — producing, transit and consuming nations — to maintain open and transparent energy markets to ensure stable energy availability across the Indo-Pacific region.