Quad Summit in Manila Not Confirmed: MEA
MEA says no confirmation yet as Modi prepares for Manila visit; possible meeting with Trump also remains uncertain.
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Thursday said it had no confirmation of a Quad leaders' summit in Manila next week, although efforts were under way to arrange a meeting involving the leaders of India, the United States, Japan and Australia.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Manila from November 16 to 18 to attend the ASEAN-India and East Asia Summits. However, uncertainty persists over a possible meeting between Modi and US President Donald Trump on the sidelines.
MEA secretary (East) Rudrendra Tandon said scheduling difficulties remained the biggest obstacle to organising a Quad meeting involving the four leaders.
"There are a series of efforts being done to fix up (the Quad Summit). We don't have any information on this at the moment," Tandon said.
He said the ministry had no confirmed programme beyond Modi's participation in the ASEAN-India and East Asia Summits.
"This is a programme that is quickly being developed. We don't have information on it now," he added.
Asked about the possibility of a Quad meeting, Tandon said, "I have no fix on the Quad meeting."
He said coordinating the schedules of several world leaders was a difficult exercise and officials were working to resolve the issue.
Tandon also dismissed as speculative suggestions that the Trump administration was not particularly interested in holding the Quad Summit.
India was originally expected to host the next Quad leaders' summit in 2025, following an agreement under which the United States hosted the 2024 meeting during Joe Biden's presidency. The summit did not take place in India last year.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio recently indicated that the summit would be held in Manila during the ASEAN meetings, although the dates had not been finalised.
Sources, however, expressed confidence that the Quad Summit would take place.
A bilateral meeting between Modi and Trump in Manila also remains unconfirmed. The two leaders are expected to meet at the G20 Summit in Miami next month.
Asked about possible bilateral meetings, Tandon said coordinating the schedules of so many leaders was difficult and arrangements remained uncertain.