Quad Nations Expand Maritime Ties and Fight Cyber Scam Networks

Quad nations have strengthened their maritime and security cooperation while condemning criminal groups that traffic people and force them into online fraud. The commitments were outlined in a joint statement issued after the group's foreign ministers met in Atlanta on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers' gathering.

According to Japan, the meeting lasted about 40 minutes. It was the third Quad foreign ministers' meeting this year, following earlier sessions in May and July. The ministers also expressed optimism about the upcoming Quad leaders' summit and the next ministerial meeting.

The ministers condemned criminal networks that exploit people through trafficking and online scams. They said these networks cost citizens of the four countries billions of dollars every year. The Quad pledged to dismantle such cyber fraud operations and hold international criminal syndicates and their leaders accountable.

On maritime matters, the group called for the protection of navigation rights and freedoms in accordance with international law, particularly in the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. The ministers stressed that trade, energy security and the safe movement of ships and crews must remain uninterrupted, and that no tolls should be imposed for such passage.

Quad cooperation in the Pacific is expanding as well. The four countries are helping modernise port infrastructure at Suva, Lautoka and Rakiraki in Fiji. The US Millennium Challenge Corporation is assisting in shaping port development plans, while Australia is assessing the feasibility of a new transhipment port. More than 2,000 infrastructure fellowships have been provided across the Pacific, Southeast Asia and South Asia.

The Quad is also working on secure, high-speed undersea internet cable networks. Separately, the second Quad at Sea Ship Observer Mission ran from September 25 to October 7, travelling from Chennai to Perth aboard an Indian Coast Guard offshore patrol vessel to counter illegal maritime activity.

Looking ahead, the group plans the first Indo-Pacific maritime surveillance exercise under Sea Dragon 2027 and a Quad Maritime Domain Awareness Track 1.5 symposium in early 2027. The ministers also discussed the situation in the East China Sea, the South China Sea and the Middle East, and opposed unilateral attempts to change the status quo by force or coercion.