The White House confirmed on Thursday that President Joe Biden remains committed to participating in the QUAD countries’ annual leadership summit, which is scheduled to be held in India this year. White House National Security Communications Advisor John Kirby made the announcement during a press conference.
“We’re still committed to there being a Quad leader summit this year, but there’s nothing on the calendar right now for it,” Kirby stated. The QUAD, consisting of Australia, Japan, India, and the US, is an initiative strongly supported by Biden, who convened the first virtual leadership summit of the group within his first 100 days in office in 2020. The annual summit has since rotated among the member countries, with India hosting this year.
Kirby mentioned that now Biden is not running for reelection, there could be new opportunities for advancing his foreign policy and national security agenda. “So we’re all exploring what those opportunities can look like in terms of advancing his foreign policy agenda and national security opportunities here and around the world. But I don’t have anything on the schedule to speak to now, but I mean, stay tuned,” Kirby said.
He highlighted the ongoing global challenges, including the wars in Ukraine and Gaza, climate change, and the Indo-Pacific region’s instability. “There’s plenty of things for the national security team to try to continue to get done,” Kirby added.
The White House’s comments came just ahead of the Quad Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Tokyo on July 29, where India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar will be in attendance. The meeting will review discussions from their previous gathering in New York, focusing on developments in the Indo-Pacific region. They will also evaluate progress on various Quad initiatives and working groups.
The agenda will address regional and international issues, aiming to promote a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific. The ministers plan to discuss contemporary regional priorities and enhance collaboration to deliver public goods in the region.
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