News Desk: The four member countries of the Quad India, the United States, Australia and Japan are exploring the possibility of holding a leaders’ summit on the sidelines of the Asean Summit in the Philippines next month, according to people familiar with the discussions.
The proposed meeting, which has been delayed for more than a year, would depend on US President Donald Trump’s participation in the Asean Summit and related meetings scheduled in Manila from November 16 to 18.
Although the office of the Philippine president has indicated that Trump is expected to attend, uncertainty remains over his travel plans. Sources said his decision could also be influenced by the outcome of the US midterm elections scheduled for early November.
India was originally scheduled to host the Quad Leaders’ Summit in 2025. However, diplomatic priorities and scheduling difficulties, particularly following the political transition in the United States, prevented the meeting from taking place.
The last Quad Leaders’ Summit was hosted by former US President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware, in September 2024. India made several attempts to organise the next summit last year, but uncertainty over Trump’s travel plans reportedly complicated those efforts.
The four countries are now considering the Asean gathering as an opportunity to bring their leaders together and demonstrate their continued commitment to the strategic partnership.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to visit the Philippines on November 16 and 17 for meetings, including the India-Asean Summit. Officials are also working to ensure that a potential Quad meeting produces concrete outcomes rather than serving only as a symbolic gathering.
Meanwhile, Quad foreign ministers are expected to meet on the sidelines of a G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Atlanta, United States, on October 30 and 31. It would be their fourth meeting since the beginning of Trump’s second presidential term. Their most recent meeting was hosted by New Delhi in May.
In recent months, the Quad’s agenda has increasingly focused on economic security, energy cooperation, connectivity and strategic infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.
Healthcare initiatives, including the cancer-focused programme known as the “Cancer Moonshot”, which gained prominence under the Biden administration, have received less attention.
A leaders’ summit in Manila could provide an opportunity for the four countries to review their priorities and strengthen cooperation amid evolving regional and global challenges. However, the meeting has not yet been confirmed and remains dependent on the leaders’ schedules.
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