Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese arrived in Philadelphia on Thursday ahead of the highly anticipated Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) summit, set to take place on September 21 in Delaware. The summit will bring together leaders from four major democracies—India, Australia, Japan, and the United States—focused on ensuring peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
“The Quad is an important body. It’s one that’s committed to peace and stability and security in the Indo-Pacific. Four great democracies driven by our common objectives that we have. So it will be an opportunity to talk directly to the leaders of the United States in President Biden, my friend Prime Minister Modi from India, and my friend Prime Minister Kishida of Japan,” Albanese told reporters.
In addition to the core themes of security and stability, Albanese highlighted the Quad’s efforts to support developing nations in the region. “We will be discussing ways to provide further support in areas like climate action and energy security,” he said.
The summit comes at a time of rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific, with China’s growing influence likely to be a key topic. National Security Council Coordinator John Kirby had earlier indicated that China would be “high on the agenda” during the summit.
Responding to that Albanese said, “When we look at the way that our region is operating the relations between the rise of China with nations in our region. But that is not the only focus. Of course, this is a focus on our four nations, the security and stability that democracies can provide, and we want to, with regard to China, my position is very clear. It’s that we will cooperate when we can, we will disagree where we must, but we’ll engage in our national interest. And that is something that has led to an improvement in the relationships with China, that doesn’t mean there aren’t differences there. There are. And we talk about them, and we discuss them in appropriate forums, and we discuss them very directly.”
As the U.S. heads into a politically sensitive period with its presidential elections in November, Albanese was asked about the potential impact of a leadership change. He expressed confidence that the Quad’s relationship is built on shared values rather than individual leadership. “Our relationship with the United States is based on common values, and that won’t change regardless of the election outcome,” he said.
The Australian PM also underscored the enduring U.S.-Australia alliance, adding their close defense ties, including recent joint work on a nuclear-powered submarine in Perth. “This relationship was forged during World War II and has only strengthened since then,” he said.
The Quad, which brings together India, Australia, Japan, and the U.S., is committed to promoting an open, free, and inclusive Indo-Pacific that is prosperous and resilient. India is set to host the next Quad Leaders’ Summit in 2025.
(Inputs from ANI)