Quad Sherpas review cooperation, prepare for next Foreign Ministers’ meeting

New Delhi, September 3. India hosted a meeting of the Quad Sherpas in New Delhi, with senior officials from Australia, Japan and the United States reviewing ongoing initiatives and discussing preparations for the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri chaired the meeting on September 3, which was attended by Australia’s Deputy Secretary of the Strategic Planning and Coordination Group, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, Elly Lawson; Japan’s Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hiroyuki Namazu; and US Special Envoy to South and Central Asia and Ambassador to India, Sergio Gor.

The meeting followed the Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held in New Delhi on May 26 and was aimed at taking forward the outcomes of that meeting while laying the groundwork for the next ministerial-level gathering.

The Sherpas reviewed progress on various ongoing Quad initiatives and explored ways to strengthen practical cooperation among the four countries. They reiterated their shared commitment to advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific.

Discussions covered a broad range of priority areas, including maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response.

The officials also exchanged views on developments in the Indo-Pacific as well as the wider regional and global geopolitical environment.

Emphasising the need for tangible outcomes, the Sherpas reaffirmed the Quad’s focus on concrete and action-oriented initiatives. They agreed to maintain consultations as the grouping moves towards its next Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.