PM Modi To Attend Joe Biden-Hosted Quad Summit Next Week

File picture (AFP)

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit the United States to take part in the first in-person summit of the leaders of “Quad” countries — Australia, India, Japan and the United States — to be hosted by US President Joe Biden next week.

PM Modi will be joined by Australia Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japan Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and Biden for the summit to be held in Washington on September 24.

“The Leaders will review progress made since their first virtual Summit on March 12 and discuss regional issues of shared interest,” the Ministry of External Affairs was quoted as saying in a statement.

“As part of their ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, they will review the Quad Vaccine initiative which was announced in March this year,” the statement added.

The first summit’s vaccines initiative was stalled after the world’s largest vaccine producer India was raged by a devastating and virulent second wave of COVID-19 infections and the exports of vaccines were halted.

According to New Delhi, critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, climate change and education will be discussed in the meeting.

The Quad meeting comes following President Biden’s image taking a beating over the chaotic withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan.

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