Quad gets a boost with key energy, critical minerals and maritime initiatives; condemns attacks on commercial ships

After a year of uncertainty, precipitated by the protracted absence of a leaders’ summit, the Quad announced a series of initiatives in key areas like critical minerals, energy security and maritime surveillance in the Indian Ocean, along with a plan to build a port in Fiji, hoping to supercharge the grouping’s “global good” agenda. Indian officials said after the foreign ministers’ meeting of the informal grouping of 4 like-minded maritime democracies – Australia, India, Japan and the US – that Quad is here to stay and will continue going strong. In a message to Iran, the meeting – which saw…