Hopeful of Quad Summit in India early next year, says Australian PM

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has expressed confidence that the Quad grouping will continue to remain a key strategic forum and said he was “hopeful” India would host the next leaders’ summit in the first quarter of 2026.

Speaking at a press conference in Johannesburg on the sidelines of the G20 Summit on Friday, Albanese dismissed speculation over the Quad’s future under the Trump administration, stressing that cooperation between Australia, India, Japan and the US remained firmly in place.

“The Quad is an important body,” he said, adding that he would be meeting PM Narendra Modi later in the day. “India is due to host the Quad, and I’d be very hopeful that the Quad will be hosted in India next year. Australia will always participate in it," he said. Albanese said he would be holding talks with Japan’s new PM in the coming days and described both India and Japan as strong, warm partners for Australia. He further underlined his “good, positive relationship” with US President Donald Trump.

“With all these relationships robust and constructive, I’d be hopeful that the Quad meeting takes place in the first quarter next year,” he said.

The Quad last met at the leaders’ level in Wilmington in September 2024 when Joe Biden was US President.

Early this year in August, Prime Minister Modi had, in an interview to a Japanese newspaper, described the grouping as a “force of global good” that has delivered concrete outcomes over the last two decades.

“Quad’s practical agenda ranges from maritime safety and security, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, cyber security, critical and emerging technologies and connectivity to education, health and space cooperation,” Modi had said. He said the role of the Quad in delivering public goods was becoming significant.