Quad Fuel Security Forum to debut in Texas amid energy shock concerns

The first meeting of the Quad Fuel Security Forum is set to be held in Texas on the sidelines of the G20 Energy Ministerial, as the four countries step up efforts to protect themselves from future energy shocks. The forum is aimed at strengthening fuel security across the region and supporting more stable energy supplies.

India's Power Minister Manohar Lal is attending the meeting linked to the three-day G20 Energy Abundance Ministerial, which began in Houston on Monday. The Fuel Security Forum was announced in May in New Delhi after the Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting hosted by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

James P Danly, Deputy Secretary of the US Department of Energy, said on Monday, "This week in Texas, we're having the Quad Fuel Security Forum, which is part of this commitment; it's a demonstration of our commitment to ensuring that the entire region has fuel security going forward." He added, "This is a subject that is top of mind across the world. And for allies in Australia and India and Japan, we want to ensure that the volatility of the market and supply disruptions don't impede their economic development or the prosperity and happiness of the people."

Two of the four Quad countries, India and Japan, depend heavily on West Asia for crude oil supplies, and any disruption has a disproportionate impact on countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The Quad Fuel Security Forum is meant to support high-level discussions and expand cooperation by using the strengths and resources of each country's energy sector, including efforts to strengthen strategic petroleum reserves.

In a statement issued in May, the Quad countries said their leaders had expressed a collective commitment to improving energy resilience and ensuring stable and transparent energy markets. The Texas meeting marks the first step under that plan, with the grouping seeking closer coordination on fuel security.