US President Joe Biden on Saturday gestured towards Prime Minister Narendra Modi when asked if the Quad would survive beyond the US elections in November.
“Way beyond November,” Biden replied, placing his hand on PM Modi’s shoulder.
Following the US’s request to host the Quad Summit this year, India has agreed to host the next Quad Summit in 2025, according to the Ministry of External Affairs. India was initially expected to host the summit this year, but scheduling conflicts among the attending leaders prevented it.
The 2024 US Presidential Election is scheduled for November 5, 2024. Vice President Kamala Harris is the Democratic nominee after Biden exited the race in July. She will face off against the Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump.
On Saturday, President Biden hosted a quadrilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. During the meeting, Biden announced a series of initiatives aimed at delivering tangible benefits to the Indo-Pacific region, including new maritime technologies for Quad partners.
“Today, we’re announcing a series of initiatives to deliver real, positive impacts for the Indo-Pacific. This includes providing new maritime technologies to our regional partners so they can monitor their waters. We’re also launching cooperation between coast guards for the first time and expanding the Quad Fellowship to include students from Southeast Asia. While challenges will arise and the world will change, I believe the Quad is here to stay,” Biden said.
Earlier, ahead of the Quad Summit, President Biden and PM Modi held a bilateral meeting. Both leaders reaffirmed that the U.S.-India Comprehensive Global and Strategic Partnership, described as the defining partnership of the 21st century, is successfully delivering on an ambitious agenda that benefits the global community.
The leaders reflected on a historic period of growing trust and collaboration between the U.S. and India. They emphasized that the U.S.-India partnership should remain grounded in upholding democracy, freedom, the rule of law, human rights, pluralism, and equal opportunities, as both nations strive to achieve a shared future.
Both Biden and Modi highlighted the progress that has made the U.S.-India Major Defense Partnership a pillar of global security and peace, highlighting the benefits of enhanced operational coordination, information sharing, and defense industrial innovation. The two leaders expressed strong optimism and confidence that the collective efforts of their citizens, private sectors, and governments have set the U.S.-India partnership on a path toward even greater success in the coming decades.
(ANI)