Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting LIVE: Ind-US critical minerals framework signed; Jaishankar, Rubio seal rare earths deal

Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting LIVE: The foreign ministers of the four Quad nations convened on Tuesday, 26 May 2026, for their third meeting since September 2024, with the economic fallout of the West Asia crisis, Indo-Pacific security and critical minerals cooperation dominating a packed agenda at a moment of considerable strain for the grouping.

Critical Minerals: A New Framework and a Bilateral India-US Deal

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the Quad Critical Minerals Framework at the meeting, an initiative designed to strengthen critical mineral supply chains and their recycling across member nations. India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar separately confirmed that New Delhi and Washington are finalising a bilateral framework covering the securing, mining and processing of critical minerals and rare earth materials, a development that signals deepening economic integration between the two countries beyond the Quad's multilateral structure.

Jaishankar: Indo-Pacific Must Remain a Driver of Global Growth

In his opening remarks, Jaishankar set out India's vision for the grouping's role in the region, saying the Indo-Pacific must remain "a driver for global growth and stability" and that the Quad must work to ensure maritime security and promote economic choices across the region. He specifically called for "trusted and transparent" partnerships as the foundation for bringing peace and prosperity to the Indo-Pacific.

Who Attended and What Has Changed Since July 2025

The meeting brought together Australia's Penny Wong, Jaishankar, Japan's Toshimitsu Motegi and Rubio. When the ministers last met on 1 July 2025, they streamlined the grouping's goals into four areas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, humanitarian assistance and emergency responses, and the launch of the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative. Since then, the US-Israel strikes on Iran and a series of actions by the Trump administration have raised questions about the grouping's cohesion and direction, giving Tuesday's meeting added urgency as the four ministers sought to renew and reaffirm their collective mandate.