US President Joe Biden will host the fourth in-person Quad leaders summit with leaders from Australia, India and Japan on September 21 at his Delaware residence next week, the White House said on Thursday. PM Narendra Modi, Australian PM Anthony Albanese and Japanese PM Kishida Fumio will attend the summit.
“President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. will host the fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit in Wilmington, Delaware, on Saturday, September 21. The President looks forward to welcoming Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, and Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a media briefing.
Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries--Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. The leadership summit is an initiative of Biden and is one of the key foreign policy legacies of the outgoing American president.
“This will be President Biden’s first time hosting foreign leaders in Wilmington as president — a reflection of his deep personal relationships with each of the Quad Leaders, and the importance of the Quad to all of our countries,” she said.
India was scheduled to host QUAD this year, but Delhi swapped the opportunity with Washington reportedly for logistical convenience, as all other leaders will be in the US for the UN’s Summit of the Future. India will host next year’s summit, the White House confirmed.
As per a statement issued by the White House, the Biden-Harris administration has elevated and institutionalised the Quad as a top priority, from the first-ever Quad Leaders Summit at the White House in 2021 to annual Summits since then.
In recent years, Quad Foreign Ministers have met eight times, and Quad governments continue to meet and coordinate at all levels, noted Jean-Pierre.
"The Quad Leaders Summit will focus on bolstering the strategic convergence among our countries, advancing our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and delivering concrete benefits for partners in the Indo-Pacific in key areas. These include health security, natural disaster response, maritime security, high-quality infrastructure, critical and emerging technology, climate and clean energy, and cybersecurity," she added.