The leaders of the Quad grouping are set to convene for a significant summit in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 21, marking a notable change from the original plan to hold the event in India, the current rotating chair of the Quad. This summit will be particularly momentous as it will be the final one for both US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who are expected to step down from their positions soon.
The gathering in Wilmington will be attended by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, who are also scheduled to be in the US for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). During the UNGA, Modi is anticipated to address the high-profile “Summit of the Future.”
The decision to host the summit in Wilmington, rather than on the sidelines of the UNGA in New York, was made after consultations among the Quad partners. This location choice allows Biden to host the event in his final year as president, with India slated to host the Quad leaders’ summit in 2025.
Since its inception in 2004 as a disaster response group, the Quad has evolved significantly. The grouping was revitalized in 2017 under former US President Donald Trump and saw its first leader-level summits under Biden’s administration, both virtually in March 2021 and in person at the White House in September 2021.
The upcoming Wilmington summit will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Quad’s formation and will offer a platform for the leaders to discuss key issues such as COVID-19 response, critical and emerging technologies, and supply chain cooperation. The summit’s significance is underscored by the backdrop of a highly competitive US presidential election campaign, highlighting the Quad’s growing role in the Indo-Pacific region.
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