Did EAM Jaishankar Meet Australian PM Albanese in Kuala Lumpur?
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- EAM Jaishankar met PM Anthony Albanese at the 20th East Asia Summit.
- The Quad is a crucial forum for collaboration among Australia, India, Japan, and the US.
- Albanese expressed hope for a Quad leaders meeting in early 2026.
- The next Quad Leaders' Summit will be hosted in India.
- The Quad aims to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
Kuala Lumpur, Oct 27 (NationPress) External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar engaged with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during the 20th East Asia Summit (EAS) in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on Monday.
In a post shared on X, EAM Jaishankar noted, "It was a pleasure meeting PM Anthony Albanese of Australia during the 20th East Asia Summit."
Earlier, Albanese referred to the Quad as a significant forum and an effective vehicle for collaboration among Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. During a press conference in Kuala Lumpur, he expressed optimism about hosting the Quad leaders meeting in the first quarter of 2026.
When questioned about the future of the Quad, Albanese replied, "The Quad serves as a vital forum and a crucial vehicle for engaging Australia, the United States, Japan, and India. I am hopeful that we will convene in the first quarter of next year. Prime Minister Modi is set to host the upcoming Quad meeting. This is a busy summit season, with President Trump also traveling to Japan and meeting with President Xi in Korea. We appreciate the direct engagement between the two largest economies globally."
The Quad unites four nations—India, Australia, Japan, and the United States—committed to promoting global welfare and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific that is both prosperous and resilient.
The next Quad Leaders' Summit is scheduled to be hosted in India. On July 1, 2025, the US Secretary of State and the Foreign Ministers from Australia, India, and Japan convened in Washington for the 10th Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting.
The inaugural Quad Leaders’ Summit took place in a virtual format on March 12, 2021, featuring participation from Prime Minister Narendra Modi alongside leaders from Australia, Japan, and the US. The subsequent in-person summit was held in Washington on September 24, 2021.
The third summit was virtual on March 3, 2022, followed by the second in-person summit hosted by Japan on May 24, 2022. The fifth in-person summit occurred in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 20, 2023, while the sixth was held in Wilmington, Delaware, on September 21, 2024.