US President Joe Biden will host the fourth in-person Quad Leaders Summit on September 21 in Wilmington, Delaware, as announced by the White House on Thursday. The summit will gather leaders from the Quad alliance: Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida of Japan.
This summit is significant as it will be the last meeting of all current Quad leaders, with both Biden and Kishida set to step down from office. Biden recently confirmed he will not run for a second term as US president, and Fumio Kishida also announced that he will not seek re-election as head of the Liberal Democratic Party.
Focus of the Quad Summit
The summit aims to strengthen the strategic alignment between the four nations, advancing their shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Discussions will cover several key areas, including:
– Health security
– Disaster response
– Maritime security
– Infrastructure development
– Emerging technologies
– Climate change
– Clean energy
– Cybersecurity
White House Statement on the Summit
According to Karine Jean-Pierre, White House spokesperson, the summit will focus on reinforcing strategic ties and delivering benefits to the Indo-Pacific region. She stated, “The Quad Leaders Summit will focus on bolstering strategic convergence among our countries and advancing a free, open Indo-Pacific region.”
India’s Role and Future Summits
India is scheduled to host the next Quad Leaders Summit, showing the nation’s growing involvement in regional cooperation. In July, foreign ministers from the Quad nations met in Tokyo and pledged to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, sending a clear message to China about maintaining a region free from dominance or coercion.
Additionally, the Quad nations plan to expand the Indo-Pacific Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) program to cover the Indian Ocean, enhancing regional security and monitoring.