The 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, held under the chairmanship of the Philippines with the theme, ‘Navigating our Future Together’, brought together ASEAN members and external partners as well.[iii] ASEAN also reaffirmed the centrality of its own mechanisms, such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, East Asia Summit, and ADMM-Plus, in sustaining an open and rules-based regional architecture. Against this backdrop, the Quad foreign ministers met in Manila on 22 July. The four Quad ministers issued a joint statement on cooperation with ASEAN, identifying themselves as ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partners and further reaffirming their support for ASEAN unity and centrality. This marks a significant step in the evolution of the Quad–ASEAN partnership.

For years, ASEAN Centrality has been a part of Quad statements. Despite that, some ambiguity has remained over how the Quad’s security agenda relates to ASEAN-led institutions. ASEAN has sought to preserve its strategic autonomy and also avoid being drawn into bloc-based competition between the US and China. The dedicated joint statement also indicated that this gap may be narrowing, with a focus on functional cooperation rather than institutional integration.

The Quad also identified four areas of cooperation with ASEAN: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR). It further linked these areas to the practical implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP). This is particularly important because these are the areas where ASEAN’s requirements and the Quad’s capabilities can intersect further without compromising ASEAN’s identity. The Quad can contribute through resources, capacity-building and technology, while ASEAN provides a broader regional framework and institutional platforms.

Maritime security is likely to become an important bridge between ASEAN and the Quad, as the joint statement asserted that peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain are of utmost importance. For ASEAN, maritime security encompasses freedom of navigation, illegal fishing, disaster response, protection of sea lines of communication (SLOCs) and maritime domain awareness.

For the Quad, maritime security has become central to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific. This creates scope for cooperation and initiatives like information sharing, coast guard........

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