India and the United States have agreed to swap hosting duties for the upcoming Quad Summit, allowing U.S. President Biden to hold the summit alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Delaware later this month. This significant change, confirmed by sources, shifts the event to the U.S. from its original location in India.
The Quad Summit is now scheduled for September 21, 2024, and will take place at President Biden’s vacation home in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. Following the summit, Prime Minister Modi is set to address a diaspora meet titled “Modi & U.S. Progress Together” at Nassau Coliseum in New York on September 22, and will participate in the “Summit of the Future” at the United Nations on September 22-23. Notably, PM Modi will not deliver the address previously planned for the UN General Assembly on September 26, as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is now slated to speak on September 28.
The decision to swap hosting years was finalized after discussions among the Quad leaders and their teams, originally held during a meeting of Quad ‘sous sherpas’ dedicated to logistics. While India initially planned to host the summit in New York on the sidelines of the UN meetings, the U.S. opted to organize it instead. This change allows President Biden to host the summit in his final year while India prepares to host in 2025.
As confusion over the Quad Summit intensified, especially given the multiple elections affecting the leaders’ schedules, the new arrangement is seen as a strategic move to ensure meaningful dialogue among Quad nations. The upcoming summit offers a unique opportunity, potentially serving as a “farewell” gathering for leaders Biden and Kishida, who have both decided not to seek another term.
Stay tuned for further updates on this significant diplomatic event as it unfolds.
