Second Quad Leader's Summit to Be Held by November: Officials.

 Second Quad Leader's Summit to Be Held by November: Officials.

India, US, Japan, Australia will hold the second meeting on Indo-Pacific under the Quad framework by November, officials said. Senior officials from the four-member countries had met virtually on Thursday as part of regular Quad consultations to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

Senior officials discussed the importance of peace and security in the Taiwan Strait, the ongoing crisis in Burma, and reaffirmed the Quad’s strong support for ASEAN centrality and outlook on the Indo-Pacific. They welcomed the opportunity to continue regular consultations at the ministerial, senior official, and working levels and to hold a second Leaders’ Summit by November, a statement said without mentioning any official date for the event.

The four countries acknowledged that global security and prosperity depends on the region remaining inclusive, resilient and healthy. They discussed the importance of sustained international cooperation to end the COVID-19 pandemic in the Indo-Pacific and promote economic recovery, it added.

The officials examined ways to advance ongoing cooperation on numerous topics of mutual interest, including strategic challenges confronting the region, countering disinformation, promoting democracy and human rights, strengthening international institutions, including the United Nations and related organizations, and supporting countries vulnerable to coercive actions in the Indo-Pacific region.

The meeting aimed to build on and implement the discussions held by all four member countries Quad or the Quadrilateral coalition — Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden, Japanese Premier Yoshihide Suga and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison during the inaugural Quad Leaders’ Summit on March 12.