Annual Quad Summit to take place this weekend; leaders from India, Australia, Japan, and US to attend
The annual Quad Summit will take place this weekend, with leaders from India, Australia, Japan, and the United States slated to attend. The summit will address conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as focus on maritime security, emerging technologies, and a cancer-fighting initiative.
The meeting is scheduled for September 21 in Delaware, the birthplace of current US President Joe Biden, where he will gather with PM Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Initially conceptualised in 2007, the Quad stayed inactive for ten years until it was reinvigorated in 2017 during Donald Trump‘s tenure as US President, who was the Republican candidate in the 2024 United States elections. During Joe Biden’s presidency, he emphasized the importance of international alliances over the isolationist strategy of the Trump administration, leading to increased momentum for the Quad. Beginning in 2021, the leaders have gathered on four occasions.
Incidentally, India was meant to host the fifth Summit. Nevertheless, due to conflicting schedules of the four leaders, the host nation was switched to the United States, enabling President Joe Biden – who had just withdrawn from the US presidential contest – to say goodbye to the other leaders on American soil.
Also read: PM Modi to visit US from September 21-23 for Quad Leaders’ Summit
India to host the Summit next year
India will host the Summit next year, with a US official noting, “India was scheduled to host but as we looked at all four of these leaders’ schedules, we became increasingly clear that the best way to make sure that they met and had the time they wanted to have these discussions would be this weekend here in the US… PM Modi graciously agreed to swap host years with us and we do expect all four Quad leaders to meet in India next year.”
According to a vision statement released during last year’s Summit, the Quad aims to “support a free and open Indo-Pacific that is inclusive and resilient” and seeks a region that is “peaceful and prosperous, stable and secure, and respectful of sovereignty – free from intimidation and coercion, and where disputes are settled in accordance with international law”.
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The Agenda at this year’s Quad Summit
A senior White House official stated that the upcoming Quad summit in Delaware will include bold declarations on topics like maritime security, top-notch infrastructure, and important new technologies to showcase the group’s strength.
The Quad’s agenda would be to enhance security cooperation in the Indian Ocean and improve monitoring of illegal fishing fleets in the Indo-Pacific region. The leaders are also due to address the continuing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East.
Prior to PM Narendra Modi’s trip to the US, India’s foreign secretary Vikram Misri mentioned that the leaders will focus on enhancing collaboration among member nations for peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and will also talk about the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts. “We expect new initiatives to be announced,” Misri also said.
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Separately, the four leaders are expected to launch a “moonshot” initiative to prevent, detect, treat and alleviate the impact of cancer on patients and their families.
In addition to participating in the Quad Summit, PM Narendra Modi will also have one-on-one meetings with various leaders, deliver a speech at an event for the Indian diaspora, and speak at the “Summit of the Future” at the United Nations General Assembly.
