US President Joe Biden is slated to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Quad leaders in his Delaware residence next weekend. This will be the first time that the POTUS — in office till January — hosts foreign leaders in Wilmington since assuming the top post. The White House reiterated that the upcoming meeting and venue was a “reflection of his deep personal relationships with each of the Quad Leaders” and the importance of the grouping.
“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,” read a statement issued by press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.
The Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue is a diplomatic partnership between India, USA, Australia and Japan that is committed to supporting an “open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific”. The meeting next week will see Modi and Biden coming together with Australian PM Anthony Albanese and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.
The outgoing President has been spending more time in his home state since dropping his bid for reelection in July.
Joe Biden was the first American president to host a summit of the so-called Quad leaders in 2021, with annual summits since then, as the U.S. looked to pivot its foreign policy focus to the Indo-Pacific region to counter China. Meanwhile Quad Foreign Ministers have also met eight times in recent years as the four governments continue to coordinate at all levels.
India, which was scheduled to host QUAD this year, would host the summit next year. QUAD leadership summit is an initiative of Biden and is one of the key foreign policy legacies for the outgoing American president.
(With inputs from agencies)
