Spotlight on Indo-Pacific as PM to attend Quad meet in Australia on May 24

NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be visiting Sydney on May 24 to attend the Quad Leaders Summit. The PM will join US President Joe Biden and his counterparts from Australia and Japan at the summit that is expected to focus on implications of the Ukraine conflict and the overall situation in the Indo-Pacific.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese earlier on Wednesday announced that they would be hosting the next Quad Leaders Summit in Sydney. This will be the first Quad Summit in Australia and the third in-person Summit. “This will be an opportunity for Australia to help shape the region we all want to live in,” said PM Albanese. “Thank you PM Albanese for hosting the Quad Summit in Sydney that will bolster our efforts to ensure a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific. I look forward to my visit and discussions on strengthening Quad collaboration across domains to advance our positive agenda,” said Modi.

Before travelling to Australia, the PM is likely to visit the Japanese city of Hiroshima to attend the annual summit of the Group of Seven advanced economies which is scheduled to take place from May 19 to 21. During his visit to India last month, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had invited Modi for the G7 summit.

“The hosting of the Quad Leaders Summit will be in Sydney Opera House – Australia’s most recognisable building. It will be an opportunity to work in coordination with the US, India and Japan. It will be an enormous opportunity to showcase this beautiful city to the entire world,’’ PM Albanese added.

The Quad is a diplomatic partnership of four countries committed to promoting stability, resilience and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific. Australia, India, Japan and the United States share a vision for a region that is governed by accepted rules and norms, where we all can cooperate, trade and thrive. Together, Quad partners are taking practical action to address shared regional challenges, including improving regional health security, advancing critical and emerging technologies, strengthening connectivity, enhancing clean energy innovation and boosting supply chain resilience.

This year Quad partners are playing a strong leadership role in the Indo-Pacific through hosting the G20 (India), G7 (Japan), and APEC (US). In Sydney, Quad Leaders will discuss how the Quad can work alongside partners and regional groupings, foremost ASEAN and the Pacific Islands Forum, to strengthen our cooperation and shape the region we all want to live in.

Quad partners crucial for Indo-Pacific

This year Quad partners are playing a strong leadership role in the Indo-Pacific through hosting the G20 (India), G7 (Japan), and APEC (US). “Quad partners are deeply invested in the success of the Indo-Pacific. Leveraging our collective strengths helps Australia advance its interests and more effectively respond to the region’s needs. We are always better off when we act together with our close friends and partners,’’ PM Albanese said.