According to a joint statement issued here on Friday, on the sidelines of the 77th annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, the group’s foreign ministers met to further strengthen the Quod multilateral cooperation to support a free and open Indo-Pacific region.
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, India’s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken attended the meeting.
“For the region, the Quad believes in establishing a rules-based order that respects independence, the rule of law, democratic values, peaceful settlement of disputes, sovereignty and territorial integrity,” said a statement issued by the US State Department. ‘
“We strongly oppose any unilateral action to alter the status quo in the region and increase tensions,” the statement said. They reiterated their commitment to uphold international law, peace and security, which are the basis of development and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region.
Significantly, China claims almost the entire South China Sea, while Taiwan, Philippine, Brunei, Malaysia and Vietnam claim their respective parts.