New Delhi, July 22 -- The Quad foreign ministers on Wednesday reaffirmed their commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific and pledged to deepen cooperation with ASEAN, underscoring the regional bloc's centrality amid growing geopolitical and maritime security challenges in the Indo-Pacific.
In a joint statement issued after their meeting in Manila, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya reiterated their "unwavering support for ASEAN unity and centrality."The ministers, representing ASEAN's Comprehensive Strategic Partners, said they were "deeply invested in the region's success" and committed to working closely with ASEAN...