By Renju Jose
SYDNEY (Reuters) – Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Wednesday that Sydney will host the 2023 Quad Leaders’ summit on May 24, the third in-person meeting of the leaders of Australia, the United States, India and Japan.
“I am honoured to host the first ever Quad Leaders’ Summit in Australia in Sydney,” Albanese said.
“The Quad is committed to supporting an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is respectful of sovereignty and ensures security and growth for all.”
Albanese said the leaders will discuss how the Quad can work alongside partners and regional groupings, including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and the Pacific Islands Forum, to strengthen cooperation and shape the region.
India, the United States, Japan and Australia are members of the Quad, an informal group that Washington has been promoting to work as a potential bulwark against China’s increasing political, commercial and military activity in the Indo-Pacific.
China sees the Quad as an attempt to push back against its growing influence in the Indo-Pacific.
Albanese said he also plans to visit the US when Biden hosts the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in the second half of the year.
(Reporting by Renju Jose in Sydney; Editing by Alasdair Pal)
