Australian Foreign Minister (FM) Marise Payne, Indian FM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japanese FM Yoshimasa Hayashi and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, made the commitment in a joint statement issued after the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Melbourne, Australia, on February 11.

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From left: U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Australian Foreign Minister (FM) Marise Payne, Indian FM Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Japanese FM Yoshimasa Hayashi at a press conference in Melbourne, Australia on February 11, 2022

The ministers recognize that international law, peace, and security in the maritime domain underpins the development and prosperity of the Indo-Pacific.

“We reiterate the importance of adherence to international law, particularly as reflected in the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) 1982, to meet challenges to the maritime rules-based order, including in the South and East China Seas. We are determined to deepen engagement with regional partners, including through capacity-building and technical assistance, to strengthen maritime domain awareness; protect their ability to develop offshore resources, consistent with UNCLOS 1982; ensure freedom of navigation and overflight; combat challenges, such as illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; and promote the safety and security of sea lines of communication,” they said in the joint statement.

Source: VNA