(VOVWORLD) - The Foreign Ministers of Australia, India and Japan and the Secretary of State of the US have committed to ensuring freedom of navigation and overflight in the East Sea (internationally known as the South China Sea) and the East China Sea, and deepening engagement with regional partners to protect their ability to develop offshore resources.
 US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister (FM) Marise Payne, Indian FM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Japanese FM Yoshimasa Hayashi at a meeting in Melbourne, Australia, on February 11 (Photo: AFP/VNA) |
Australian Foreign Minister (FM) Marise Payne, Indian FM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese FM Yoshimasa Hayashi and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, made the commitment in a joint statement issued after the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Melbourne, Australia, on February 11. The ministers recognised that international law, peace, and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.
They reiterated the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order in the waeters. The Quad was determined to deepen engagement with regional partners, including through capacity-building and technical assistance, to strengthen maritime domain awareness; protect their ability to develop offshore resources, consistent with UNCLOS; ensure freedom of navigation and overflight; combat challenges, such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; and promote the safety and security of sea lines of communication; they said in the joint statement.