Indian premier to attend ‘Quad’ summit in US next week

By Shuriah Niazi

NEW DELHI (AA) - Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to the US next week to take part in the Quad leaders’ summit in Washington, D.C. on Sept. 24 along with Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga as well as US President Joe Biden, who will be hosting the event, India’s Ministry of External Affairs said Tuesday.

The leaders will review the progress made since their first virtual summit on March 12 this year and discuss regional issues of shared interest.

“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. They will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance/disaster relief, climate change and education,” said the ministry statement.

It added that the summit would provide a valuable opportunity for dialogue and interactions among the leaders, anchored in their shared vision of ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

Modi is also scheduled to address the General Debate of the High-Level Segment of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly on Sept. 25 in New York.

The theme for this year’s General Debate is “Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalize the United Nations.”