Ahead of UN Meetings, PM Modi to Host U.S., Japan, and Australia Leaders; Venue Could Be Delaware or New York
India will miss the opportunity to host the Quad Summit this year, as sources confirmed that leaders from the U.S., Australia, Japan, and India will meet in the U.S. instead. The summit, scheduled for September 21, will be hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New York ahead of major UN events, including the UN General Assembly and the UN Summit of the Future.
The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed that U.S. President Joe Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will attend. However, the exact venue is yet to be finalized, with possibilities including New York or Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, a decision influenced by the ongoing U.S. election campaign.
This is the first time India will host the Quad Summit, elevated to the leadership level in 2021, although the meeting will take place in the U.S. Finalizing the summit’s date has been challenging for Indian officials due to conflicting schedules of the leaders and election timelines in the U.S. Invitations to the Quad leaders were initially extended during the G-20 Summit in Delhi last September.
The agenda for the upcoming Quad Summit on September 21
Officials have been preparing the agenda for the upcoming Quad Summit, which was initially discussed during the four Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Japan on July 29. Key topics include maritime security, critical and emerging technologies, cybersecurity, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, health security, climate change, counterterrorism, infrastructure development, connectivity, and addressing the global debt crisis through sustainable, transparent, and fair lending practices.
However, with both U.S. President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida potentially leaving office in the coming months, it remains uncertain whether major decisions will be finalized at this summit. Some concrete actions may be deferred to the next Quad Summit, scheduled to take place in the U.S. in 2025.