Atlanta, 1 November: Foreign ministers from India, the United States, Japan and Australia met in Atlanta on Saturday and put resilient supply chains at the centre of the Atlanta supply chains talks, a theme that then carried into the closing session of the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in the same city. Atlanta supply chains discussions covered critical minerals, semiconductors, trusted technology, energy security and the safety of sea routes used by world trade. The Quad meeting was the third ministerial meeting of the grouping this year, after earlier sessions in New Delhi and Manila, and it took place on the sidelines of the G20 gathering hosted by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar represented India at both meetings. He was joined at the Quad session by Rubio, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong. In a post on X after the Quad meeting, Jaishankar said he was pleased to take part and underlined deepening cooperation to promote supply chain resilience and to ensure technology, critical minerals and energy security. He also pointed to countering non-market practices and increased economic stresses in the Indo-Pacific.
Atlanta supply chains at the Quad meeting
The Quad ministers reviewed progress on Atlanta supply chains, securing critical minerals, expanding maritime cooperation and advancing next-generation technologies. A joint statement welcomed private investment in collecting, processing and refining minerals recovered from electronic waste and scrap, under the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative Framework announced in May. It noted a US commitment of 10 million dollars to support mineral-recovery facilities and infrastructure in India and ASEAN countries.
The ministers also announced more than 85 million dollars in technical and financial assistance to expand access to trusted artificial intelligence technologies across the Indo-Pacific, including through a Quad accelerator. A Quad Business Leaders’ Forum was announced to connect companies, policymakers and industry specialists, and export-credit agencies are expected to meet in Tokyo on 18 November to explore financing cooperation. The ministers also outlined plans for the first Sea Dragon 2027 maritime surveillance collaboration initiative.
On maritime issues, the ministers stressed navigation rights and the safe movement of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Those routes matter for energy shipments and global trade. The statement also noted cooperation on port infrastructure in Fiji and a maritime observer mission that sailed from Chennai to Perth between 25 September and 7 October.
Atlanta supply chains at the G20 session
The Atlanta supply chains agenda then moved to the wider G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, which concluded with a plenary session on supply chains. Jaishankar told the Atlanta supply chains session that the G20 should resist predatory practices, promote the right to industrialise and work towards the de-politicisation of markets. In a post on X, he wrote, “Securing supply chains and ensuring their resilience is today central to the well-being of the global economy.”
Jaishankar also said diversification and de-risking, including in connectivity, held the answer to supply chain resilience, which he said was threatened by pandemics, conflicts, climate events and mishaps. He told the Atlanta supply chains meeting that G20 countries must reconcile their national interests for the collective good by promoting transparent and multiple supply chains, making the global economy truly multi-stakeholder. Speaking to ANI after the meeting, he described discussions across three plenary sessions, on geopolitical challenges, energy and food security, and resilient supply chains, as engaging, open and constructive.
Rubio, who hosted the G20 meeting, placed Atlanta supply chains at the centre of the closing session as well. In a post on X, he said, “At the closing G20 foreign ministers’ meeting, I made clear to our partners that secure supply chains are essential for growth.” He added, “Critical trade routes, including the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, must remain secure and open to commerce. And we must continue to strengthen and expand critical mineral supply chains to protect our future.”
What comes next for Atlanta supply chains
Jaishankar also held bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the G20 gathering. He met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and said on X that they had discussed the Ukraine conflict, the Gulf situation and multilateral issues. The two-day G20 gathering, according to reports, concluded without a joint communique after participating countries failed to reach agreement on several contentious issues, including Russia’s participation. That account reflects reporting of the meeting rather than a statement issued by all participants. From Atlanta, Jaishankar was due to travel to Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting from 1 to 4 November, and the Atlanta meetings are expected to feed into preparations for a Quad leaders’ summit, although no date has been confirmed.