First summit of Quad leaders set to take place this month

The leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue or Quad are set to hold their first summit in a virtual format this month, with the US administration taking the initiative to set up the meeting. Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison to at news conference on Friday that he had discussed the matter with US President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in recent conversations.  "I am looking forward to that first gathering of the Quad leaders. It will be the first ever such gathering,” he said in response to a question from a reporter on whether he had received an invitation for the meeting.

“The Quad is very central to the US and our thinking about the region and looking at the Indo-Pacific also through the prism of our Asean partners and their vision of the Indo-Pacific,” he said. "It will be four leaders, four countries, working together constructively for the peace, prosperity and stability of the Indo-Pacific."he said.  "The Quad is very central to the United States and our thinking about the region, and looking at the Indo-Pacific also through the prism of our Asean partners and their vision of the Indo-Pacific," Morrison said, referring to the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Chinese officials have likened the Quad to a “mini NATO” and said its activities are aimed at targeting third parties, a charge rejected by the four members of the group.