Quad remains ‘vital’, says Japanese Foreign Minister, rejecting concerns over the grouping’s importance in the Indo-Pacific

The Quad remains a “vital framework”, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said, responding to concerns that the four-nation grouping had lost its relevance, and indicated in an interview that ‘Cooperation over Critical Minerals’ needed for green energy and hi-tech would be at the top of the agenda for the Quadrilateral Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (FMM) on Tuesday (May 25, 2026). Japan is working on critical minerals’ projects in India, Mr. Motegi also said, but called for improved infrastructure, more tax subsidies, and protection for intellectual property rights.

The Quad meeting, which will be hosted by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and will include Mr. Motegi, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, is expected to take stock of the conflict in Iran, the Hormuz Strait blockade, and U.S. President Donald Trump’s visit this month to China, as well as set the agenda for the Quad Summit that has not taken place since 2024 amidst India-U.S. tensions on a number of issues.