NEW DELHI: Even as the Quad foreign ministers announced a broad new agenda on energy security, maritime cooperation and critical minerals in New Delhi on Tuesday, a conspicuous omission cast a shadow over the grouping’s evolving trajectory, there was no clarity on when or where the next Quad Leaders’ Summit would take place.
The absence of any announcement on the summit, which India was expected to host after the 2024 Wilmington meeting in the United States, has triggered speculation that the Quad may be quietly shifting away from the high-profile summit diplomacy that defined its recent evolution and reverting instead to a more functional ministerial format.
The uncertainty stood out because previous Quad joint statements had consistently identified the host of the next leaders’ summit.
This time, however, the statement issued after the meeting between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi merely said the ministers “look forward to the convening of the Quad Leaders’ Summit”.
“We look forward to the convening of the Quad Leaders’ Summit, the next Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, and continuing our engagements that advance peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” the statement said, without specifying a timeline or venue.
The ambiguity is diplomatically significant. Since its revival in 2017, the Quad has transformed from a cautious strategic dialogue into a leaders led Indo-Pacific coalition.
Annual summits became the political centrepiece of the grouping after they were elevated in 2021, signalling a coordinated strategic response to China’s growing assertiveness across the Indo-Pacific.
However, sustaining that summit level momentum has become increasingly difficult amid leadership transitions, crowded diplomatic calendars and shifting geopolitical priorities. The Wilmington summit in 2024 itself reflected that complexity.
Although it was India’s turn to host the meeting, New Delhi agreed to let the US organise it in Delaware as a farewell summit for then President Joe Biden before the American election cycle began.
Officials indicated on Tuesday that scheduling difficulties remained a major factor behind the current uncertainty.
“As far as the Summit is concerned, I think Quad leaders have just met. The Quad foreign ministers have just met today,” said Nagaraj Naidu, Additional Secretary handling the Americas division in the Ministry of External Affairs.
“The Quad usually discusses these dates and occasions where it is convenient for the leaders to meet because leaders’ schedules are always very, very difficult to pin down,” he said.
Referring to the Wilmington summit, Naidu added: “It was actually supposed to be hosted by India, but then as a gesture to President Biden, who was leaving the White House, it was decided that perhaps it could be done in Delaware.”
He stressed that discussions among the four capitals were continuing.
“We leave it to our seniors, our foreign ministers, they are in touch with each other… This will be a great occasion for us. A summit level meeting is always something that even we look forward to,” he said.
Toshihiro Kitamura, Press Secretary to the Japanese Foreign Minister, said there had been no discussion on the leaders’ summit during Tuesday’s engagements and noted that Australia was expected to host the next foreign ministers’ meeting after India.
“Quad is a framework to provide concrete cooperation to the region,” Kitamura said. “We all are determined to continue working together in order to continue demonstrating our commitment, our cooperation to the region.”
That transition was evident throughout Tuesday’s meeting. The ministers announced a “Quad Initiative on Indo-Pacific Energy Security”, enhanced maritime domain awareness cooperation, a critical minerals framework and a joint infrastructure initiative in Fiji aimed at strengthening Pacific port connectivity.