Indian PM Narendra Modi to travel to Australia next week despite cancellation of the Quad leaders’ meeting

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese confirmed on Wednesday that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will still be traveling to Australia next week, despite the cancellation of the Quad leaders’ meeting. Albanese expressed his anticipation for welcoming PM Modi, as the Quad meeting, initially planned for May 24 in Sydney, was called off.

Albanese’s decision to cancel the Quad meeting was prompted by US President Joe Biden’s postponement of his visit to Australia, due to ongoing crucial debt-ceiling discussions in the United States aimed at averting a catastrophic federal default.

In response to a question about PM Modi’s visit to Sydney, Albanese stated, “Prime Minister Modi will be here next week for a bilateral meeting with myself.” He also mentioned that PM Modi will participate in business meetings and hold a public event at the Olympic site in Sydney, known as Homebush. Albanese expressed his excitement about PM Modi’s engagement with Australian-India business relations and looked forward to hosting him in Sydney.

However, Albanese indicated that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida would likely cancel his visit following Biden’s announcement. He explained that PM Kishida’s visit was contingent on the Quad meeting and did not involve a separate bilateral program.

Albanese emphasized that despite the cancellation of the Quad meeting, Prime Minister Modi would be warmly welcomed in Australia next week. The Quad, comprising the United States, India, Japan, and Australia, is a strategic security dialogue aimed at addressing shared regional concerns. It was initiated in 2007 by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe with support from then-Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, former Australian Prime Minister John Howard, and former US Vice President Dick Cheney.

While the Quad does not currently possess a formal military component, it is widely regarded as a cooperative effort to counter China’s increasing influence in the Indo-Pacific region. China has been attempting to draw Pacific island nations into its sphere of influence, which is seen by Australia as its own backyard. Although there have been no military incidents, Chinese ships have been observed venturing into the southern Indian and Pacific oceans.

China has openly criticized the formation of the Quad for over a decade, while the Quad countries maintain that the grouping is not directed against any specific nation.