US, Japan, Australia, India reaffirm 'unwavering support' for ASEAN 'unity, centrality'

The top diplomats of the US, Japan, Australia, and India on Wednesday reaffirmed their "unwavering support" for the "unity and centrality" of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), according to an official statement.

It came during a meeting of US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and his counterparts from Australia, India, and Japan, a grouping commonly known as Quad, in Manila, the capital of the Philippines, the current chair of the 11-member bloc.

They met on the sidelines of the 59th annual summit of the top ASEAN diplomats, the statement by the US State Department said.

Reiterating what they called a "free and open Indo-Pacific," the top Quad diplomats "discussed regional challenges and opportunities" to strengthen their "support for the practical implementation of the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific" through their "shared priorities of maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technologies, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response."

All four nations are comprehensive strategic partners of the Southeast Asian bloc.

The Quad, which brings together the US, India, Australia, and Japan, has increasingly focused on promoting security and economic cooperation across the wider Asia-Pacific.

"We are deeply invested in the region's success and in cooperating with ASEAN and its member states. … We are united in our conviction that peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific maritime domain underpin the security and prosperity of the region," the statement added.