Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said that much of the history of the 21st century will be written in the Indo-Pacific. On his first day in office, Secretary Rubio met with the foreign ministers of three Indo-Pacific countries, which, along with the United States, make up the Quad – Australia, India and Japan.
The four foreign ministers issued a joint statement reaffirming a “shared commitment to strengthening a Free and Open Indo-Pacific where the rule of law, democratic values, sovereignty and territorial integrity are upheld and defended.” They wrote, “Our four nations maintain our conviction that international law, economic opportunity, peace, stability and security in all domains, including the maritime domain, underpin the development and prosperity of the peoples of the Indo-Pacific. We also strongly oppose any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion.”
In readouts of Secretary Rubio’s separate meetings with the three officials, a commitment to deepening ties between each country and the United States was emphasized.
In the meeting with Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi, Secretary Rubio underlined that the U.S.-Japan Alliance is the cornerstone of security and prosperity in the region.
When Secretary Rubio met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, the State Department noted the two men discussed a wide range of topics, including strengthening their partnership on critical and emerging technologies, defense cooperation, and energy.
In the meeting between Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong and Secretary Rubio, the State Department said the two officials “hailed the longstanding U.S.-Australia Alliance as foundational to international security and prosperity.”
Secretary Rubio’s first meetings with three of the United States’ allies underscore what he said to State Department’s employees the same day – that under President Donald Trump, the foreign policy of the United States is clear about its mission: “anything that makes [America] stronger or safer or more prosperous … will be our mission.”
“I expect every nation on earth to advance their national interests. And in those instances – and I hope there will be many – in which our national interests and theirs align, we look forward to working with them.”
President Trump’s “overriding goal for global policy,” said Secretary Rubio, “is the promotion of peace ... because that’s in our national interest.”
The meetings between the United States and its partners in the Quad demonstrate a commitment to this shared goal.