India May Host QUAD Leaders' Summit Around Republic Day Next Year: Report

India is expected to host the Quad Leaders' Summit around Republic Day next year, depending on the availability of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, reported The Print.

The Quad consists of four nations, viz, Australia, India, Japan, and the United States.

According to The Print's report, sources have indicated that invitations have been extended to US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to be the chief guests at India's Republic Day parade on 26 January.

However, confirmations for such invites will come approximately a month ahead of the event.

If President Biden accepts the invitation, he will become the second US president to be a chief guest at the event, following Barack Obama in 2015. This would also mark Biden's second visit to India, the first being for the G20 Summit held last month.

The late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was the first from Japan to be the chief guest at India's Republic Day parade in 2014, invited by the then United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government led by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

The selection of Republic Day chief guests is a carefully considered process and serves to highlight India's close friendships, partnerships, and strategic interests.

The proposed dates for the Quad meeting are either 25 January or 27 January 2024. However, inviting all Quad leaders as Republic Day guests is not feasible due to Australia's National Day falling on January 26.

The Quad meeting in India was mentioned in a joint statement released by the US and Australia after Biden and Albanese's meeting in Washington.

The statement expressed support for Australia hosting the 2023 Quad Leaders' Summit in Hiroshima and looked forward to the next Quad Leaders' Summit being held in India.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had previously announced India's intention to host the Quad summit in 2024. The Quad is a significant grouping formed in 2017, with its member nations emphasising that it is not a military alliance.

India's External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, expressed optimism about the Quad's future, highlighting its flexible and open-minded approach.

Both Russia and China have been critical of the Quad, viewing it as directed against Beijing.

Russian Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu, during his April visit to New Delhi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defence ministers' meeting, criticised the US and multilateral groupings like the Quad while expressing support for China.