Washington/Canberra: The third in-person Quad summit will be held in Sydney next month to deepen cooperation on critical and emerging technologies, high-quality infrastructure, global health, climate change and other pressing issues pertaining to the strategic Indo-Pacific region.
The Quad or Quadrilateral Security Dialogue comprises India, the US, Japan and Australia. The May 24 meeting, scheduled to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be the first that Australia will be hosting.
The meeting came against the backdrop of growing global concerns over increasing Chinese assertiveness in the strategically-vital region.
“I’m pleased to announce that Australia will be hosting the Quad Leaders’ Summit for the first time on May 24 in Sydney. Hosting our Quad partners in Sydney next month will be an opportunity for Australia to help shape the region we all want to live in,” Albanese tweeted on Wednesday.
“The hosting of this Quad leaders’ meeting at the Sydney Opera House, Australia’s most recognisable building, will be a chance for us to work cooperatively with the United States, Japan and India,” he said in a video message.
“The Quad leaders will discuss how they can deepen their cooperation on critical and emerging technologies, high-quality infrastructure, global health, climate change, maritime domain awareness, and other issues that matter to the people of the Indo-Pacific,” White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said on Tuesday.
India, the US and several other world powers have been talking about the need to ensure a free, open and thriving Indo-Pacific in the backdrop of China’s rising military manoeuvring in the region.
China claims nearly all the disputed South China Sea, though Taiwan, the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, and Vietnam all claim parts of it. Beijing has built artificial islands and military installations in the South China Sea.
