Quad leaders likely To Meet In Manila On Nov. 17
The four-nation Quad Leaders' Summit, bringing together Prime Minister Narendra Modi: Reports
NEW DELHI: The four-nation Quad Leaders' Summit, bringing together Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump and the Prime Ministers of Japan and Australia, is expected to take place in Manila on November 17, according to reports from the Philippine capital.
The summit is likely to focus on freedom of navigation, attacks on merchant vessels, critical minerals and supply chains. The situation in the Indo-Pacific is also expected to figure prominently amid growing maritime tensions between the Philippines and China in the South China Sea.
Modi will visit Manila to attend the India-ASEAN and East Asia summits on November 17. Ministry of External Affairs Secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon had recently indicated that efforts were underway to schedule the Quad meeting.
India was originally scheduled to host the Quad summit in 2024 but agreed to swap turns with the US to enable then President Joe Biden to host the meeting towards the end of his tenure. India did not host the summit in 2025 amid uncertainty over Trump's visit and strained bilateral ties.
The summit could not be held in India this year either, with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio indicating a few weeks ago that it could take place in Manila.
Attention is also focused on a possible bilateral meeting between Modi and Trump on the sidelines of the Manila gathering, although there is no official confirmation. The two leaders could also meet during the G20 summit in Miami on December 14 and 15.
Asked recently about possible bilateral meetings, including one between Modi and Trump, Tandon said, "It is very difficult to fix schedules of so many leaders at the same time. That is why it is all up in the air at this juncture."