Quad Officials Meet Twice In A Week: India, US Host Talks On Counter-Terrorism, Humanitarian Aid

India and the United States hosted two crucial meetings related to the Quad group – involving the US, India, Japan and Australia – on counter-terrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster response in a single week.

India hosted the third Quad Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) meeting in New Delhi on December 4 and 5 as part of India’s rotation hosting the next Quad Summit, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). During the meeting, Quad partners unequivocally condemned terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism.

Quad member-countries also expressed their condolences for the terror incident on November 10 near Delhi’s Red Fort and called for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of

this reprehensible act to be brought to justice, while urging cooperation from the United Nations.

Tabletop Exercise On Counter-Terrorism

During the meeting, the Quad member countries exchanged assessments on the terrorism threat landscape, including developments in the Indo-Pacific region. A Tabletop Exercise (TTx) on “Counter Terrorism Operations in the Urban Environment” was also conducted, which provided an opportunity for CT experts to share their best practices and identify opportunities for joint operational preparedness to respond to complex terrorist scenarios.

All sides discussed the full spectrum of counterterrorism cooperation and measures that could be used to address challenges and underscored the importance of ensuring that the Indo-Pacific remains open and free from the threats of terrorism, as per the MEA statement.

In September 2025, India hosted two Quad CTWG workshops on countering the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for terrorist purposes and on preventing terrorist exploitation of new and emerging technologies for terror financing.

US Hosts Quad Meeting

On December 2 to 5, the US hosted the fourth annual Quad Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response (HADR) Tabletop Exercise and Strategic Meeting in Hawaii to strengthen the bloc’s disaster response capabilities across the Indo-Pacific, according to a statement by the US State Department.

“As a founding pillar of the Quad partnership, HADR is a cornerstone of the group’s efforts to advance peace, security, prosperity, and resilience in the Indo-Pacific. Our coordinated delivery of humanitarian assistance in response to the devastating earthquake in Burma in March this year was a testament to the Quad’s ability to mobilise resources and rapidly deliver life-saving assistance,” read the statement.

This came months after Washington hosted the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Washington, DC on July 1, where they announced a new agenda on maritime security, economic security, critical technology and humanitarian assistance.