Highlights:
- The summit will also be attended by Australian PM Scott Morrison & Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga.
- This will be the two leaders’ first face-to-face meeting since Biden took office earlier this year.
- The summit will be of utmost importance due to ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, which concerns the whole world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States next week to participate in first in-person meeting of the leaders of the “Quad” countries – Japan, Australia, India, and the United States – hosted by President Joe Biden.
Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan, Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, and US President Joe Biden will join PM Modi at the meeting in Washington on September 24.
According to a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), “The Leaders will evaluate progress made since their first virtual Summit on March 12 and address regional problems of shared interest.”
The statement added, “As part of their ongoing attempts to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic, they will review the Quad Vaccine initiative, which was launched in March of this year.”
The vaccines effort from the first summit came to a halt as India, the world’s largest vaccine manufacturer, was hit by a severe and virulent second wave of Covid-19, which forced the country to halt vaccine exports.
Also Read: Tamil Nadu Govt Tables Anti-NEET Bill 2021 In Assembly; AIADMK Likely To Support
According to New Delhi, the summit will cover critical and emerging technologies, cyber security, humanitarian assistance, connectivity and infrastructure, maritime security, climate change, and education.
President Biden’s reputation has taken a serious hit after the chaotic US departure from Afghanistan.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki stated that hosting the Quad leaders shows the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to Indo-Pacific engagement, especially through innovative multilateral configurations to meet the challenges of 21st century.
PM Modi is also set to speak at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) General Debate on September 25 in New York.
With a focus on building resilience to recover from COVID-19 and rebuild sustainably, the General Debate this year aims to respond to the needs of the planet, respecting human rights and revitalising the UN.
