(Photo courtesy of Anadolu)
ISTANBUL, Türkiye – Leaders of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad), comprising the United States, Australia, India, and Japan, are expected to meet in Manila next month on the sidelines of the 49th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
In an interview with Indian broadcaster CNN-News18 on Tuesday, October 20, Rubio confirmed that the four countries had agreed to hold the meeting in the Philippine capital.
“It’s been agreement now that we’re going to do it; we’re going to do it in Manila, at the ASEAN conference,” Rubio said.
Although the exact date has yet to be finalized, Rubio expressed optimism about the planned gathering, which will coincide with the ASEAN Summit scheduled for November 16 to 18.
He said cooperation among the four Quad members continues to gain momentum, emphasizing that the upcoming meeting is expected to produce substantive agreements and initiatives.
Rubio stressed that the leaders intend to announce “concrete actions, not just simply a nice social gathering, but something that has concrete deliverables.”
The meeting would mark the first Quad leaders’ summit since September 2024.
India was originally scheduled to host the next summit under the grouping’s rotating arrangement, but scheduling difficulties delayed the gathering.
The Quad serves as a diplomatic partnership among the United States, Australia, India, and Japan, focusing on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump is scheduled to visit Manila in November for ASEAN-related meetings before traveling to Shenzhen, China, for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders’ Meeting on November 18 and 19.
Trump is also expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to China.
The planned Quad meeting in Manila is expected to provide another opportunity for the four countries to discuss regional cooperation and shared priorities in the Indo-Pacific.
