Noting that rules and norms based order is under pressure from authoritarian regimes, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne on Friday said the Quad Foreign Ministers have reaffirmed their support to the protection of national sovereignty and the observance of rules and fair play.
Payne emphasised said the Quad is a grouping with a positive and ambitious agenda and it continues to advocate the centrality of ASEAN.
"Today the Quad foreign minister has reaffirmed our support to the principle of openness, the protection of national sovereignty and the observance of rules and fair play. The rules and norms that have to provide the foundation for our stability and hence our prosperity are under pressure, in particular from authoritarian regimes," at a joint press conference after the 4th Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Melbourne.
The Australian foreign minister said today in Melbourne grouping's overarching focus was on the Indo-Pacific region. "We agreed to strengthen Quad cyber and counter-terrorism cooperation."
She informed that foreign ministers of the four countries discussed humanitarian and disaster response and vital infrastructure delivery which is climate-adapted and climate-resilient.
"We agreed to boost maritime security support for Indo Pacific partners to strengthen their maritime domain and ability to develop their offshore sources to ensure freedom of navigation and overflight and combat challenges such as illegal fishing," Payne added.
Australia hosted the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting in Melbourne today. The top diplomats of the grouping sought to bolster cooperation in areas including security, COVID-19 pandemic and the Indo-Pacific region.
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is a partnership of four nations, each of whom shares a commitment to openness, transparency and challenges coming out of the current global order.
This was the first time Quad Foreign Ministers meeting since the two Quad Summits last year.
( With inputs from ANI )
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