Foreign Policy
Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad) meetings
1. Japan-Australia-India-U.S. (Quad)
Japan, Australia, India, and the U.S. are committed to maintaining and strengthening a free and open international order based on the rule of law, and the four countries that share fundamental values have been promoting practical cooperation in various fields, including maritime security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) to realize a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)". In advancing the Quad cooperation, the four countries have also concurred on promoting initiatives that benefit the countries in the region.
2. Background of the Quad
Leaders’ Meeting (September 21, 2024, at Wilmington, Delaware)
(Photo: Cabinet Public Affairs Office)
Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (July 1, 2025, at Washington D.C.)
- 2004.12
- In the aftermath of the Earthquake off the Coast of Sumatra and Tsunami Disaster in the Indian Ocean, Japan, Australia, India and the U.S. formed a Core Group to lead the international community's support.
- 2007.5
- Quad officials held a meeting for the first time. Senior officials Meetings and other meetings have been held on a regular basis since November 2017.
- 2019.9
- The first Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in New York on the occasion of the UN General Assembly.
- 2020.10
- The second Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Tokyo, ( Foreign Ministers also held a telephone meeting in February 2021).
- 2021.3
- Leaders’ Video Conference.
- 2021.9
- In-Person Leaders’ Meeting.
- 2022.5
- The first Leaders' Meeting in Japan was held in Tokyo, further concretizing practical cooperation.
- 2024.12
- The Quad Foreign Ministers issued the Joint Statement on commemorating the 20th Anniversary of Quad Cooperation.
- 2025.1
- The Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held in Washington D.C. on the day after the inauguration of the new U.S. administration.
- 2025.7
- The Foreign Ministers’ Meeting was held in Washington D.C.
3. Leaders’ meetings
4. Foreign Ministers’ meetings
5. Efforts in each area of Quad cooperation
Maritime Security
Japan, Australia, India, and the U.S. hold an annual director-level meeting on practical cooperation that benefits the Indo-Pacific region in the area of maritime security. In April 2025, Japan hosted an in-person meeting for the first time in Tokyo. So far, cooperation has progressed on initiatives including the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), which supports maritime law enforcement by regional partners through the provision of maritime data, the Quad Maritime Legal Dialogue, which supports efforts to uphold a rules-based maritime order, the Ship Observer Mission, which aims to share knowledge and promote confidence-building among members of the coast guards of the Quad countries, and the Indo-Pacific Logistics Network (IPLN), which aims to implement transportation cooperation among Japan, Australia, India and the U.S., in the event of disasters in the Indo-Pacific region.
Counterterrorism
The establishment of the Counterterrorism Working Group (at the ambassadorial level), which promotes cooperation among Australia, India, Japan and the United States, as well as with partners in the Indo-Pacific, and counters new forms of terrorism and violent extremism, was announced in the Foreign Ministers' Joint Declaration in March 2023. Meetings related to counterterrorism have been held on multiple occasions.
Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief
At the Quad Leaders' Meeting in May 2022, the establishment of the "Quad Partnership on HADR in the Indo-Pacific" was announced, and its Guidelines were signed at the Foreign Ministers' Meeting in September of the same year. The Partnership will serve as a dedicated framework for Quad partners to coordinate their disaster response operations in the region. The mechanism will augment their capacity and capability, interoperability and operational synergy to undertake HADR operations.