Indian External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a meeting of the Quad foreign ministers today in the Philippine capital Manila.

In a joint statement after the meeting, the ministers affirmed their countries' commitment to promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific region, supporting the unity and centrality of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and enhancing cooperation with it to address regional challenges. The meeting discussed ways to support the implementation of the 'ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific,' and enhance cooperation in the areas of maritime security, economic prosperity, emerging technologies, humanitarian assistance and emergency response, stressing that peace and stability in the maritime domain are a pillar for the security and prosperity of the region.