Where is the Quad Foreign Ministers' Summit being held?

The Quad Foreign Ministers' Summit is being held in New Delhi, IND.

What is the nature of this event?

This event is a high-level meeting of foreign ministers from the Quad member states, focusing on diplomatic discussions.

Quad Foreign Ministers’ Summit 2026

Name: Quad Foreign Ministers’ Summit 2026
Start: 2026-05-26T00:00:00Z
End: 2026-05-26T00:00:00Z
Location: New Delhi

May 26, 2026New Delhi, IndiaIn-person

Registration open

The Quad Foreign Ministers' Summit is scheduled to take place in New Delhi, India. This gathering brings together the foreign ministers of the Quad member states, providing a platform for high-level discussions on matters of regional and global significance. The summit's agenda typically encompasses a range of topics, including security cooperation, economic partnerships, and addressing shared challenges in the Indo-Pacific region. This event is a key moment for diplomatic engagement among the Quad nations, allowing for the coordination of policies and strategies aimed at promoting a free, open, and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The discussions held during the summit are instrumental in shaping the collective approach of these countries to various geopolitical and economic issues.

Committees & topics

Topics
Quad Trade Agenda: Resilient Supply Chains and Open Markets · Energy Security in the Indo-Pacific · Defence Ties Among the Quad Partners · Indo-Pacific Cooperation and Regional Architecture · Maritime and Transnational Security · Economic Prosperity and Security · Critical and Emerging Technologies · Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response

Why it matters

The Quad, comprising AUS, IND, JPN, and USA, represents a significant diplomatic and strategic grouping. Its formation and continued engagement underscore a shared commitment to upholding a rules-based international order, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. The discussions at the Foreign Ministers' Summit are crucial for solidifying this commitment and addressing the complex geopolitical landscape of the region.

This summit serves as a vital forum for these nations to align their perspectives on critical issues such as maritime security, counter-terrorism, disaster relief, and economic resilience. The outcomes of these meetings often lead to enhanced cooperation and joint initiatives that have tangible impacts on regional stability and prosperity. The location of the summit in New Delhi, IND, further highlights IND's growing role and influence within this strategic partnership.

Beyond immediate policy discussions, the Quad's activities, including this summit, send a clear signal about the importance of multilateralism and collaborative approaches to global challenges. It demonstrates a collective effort to balance power dynamics and ensure that international norms are respected, particularly in areas where there are competing interests or potential for instability.

How to prepare

Delegates preparing for the Quad Foreign Ministers' Summit should engage in a comprehensive analysis of the current geopolitical landscape, with a particular focus on the Indo-Pacific region. Understanding the nuances of each member state's foreign policy objectives and national interests is paramount. This includes a deep dive into bilateral relations between Quad members and their respective engagements with other key regional actors, such as CHN.

Effective participation requires a strong grasp of the key issues likely to be discussed, ranging from economic cooperation and supply chain resilience to maritime security and climate change. Delegates should be prepared to articulate their country's stance on these matters, while also seeking areas of common ground for collaborative initiatives. Familiarity with the historical context of the Quad's evolution and its stated objectives will also be beneficial.

Furthermore, delegates should consider the broader implications of the summit's outcomes on regional stability and international relations. This involves not only understanding the direct impacts but also anticipating how various stakeholders, both within and outside the Quad, might react to the decisions made. Applying principles of "dynamic-analysis" can help in forecasting potential shifts in diplomatic alignments and regional power balances.

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 5 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

India

Aims to strengthen its strategic autonomy and enhance its role as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific, balancing its relationships with various global powers.

Role in topic

As the host nation, IND plays a central role in facilitating discussions and shaping the agenda. Its perspective is crucial for addressing regional security concerns and fostering economic partnerships, particularly given its strategic location and growing economic influence.

United States

Seeks to reinforce a free and open Indo-Pacific, counterbalancing the influence of CHN and promoting democratic values and economic partnerships.

Role in topic

USA is a foundational member of the Quad, driving much of its strategic impetus. Its involvement is key to providing security guarantees and fostering technological and economic cooperation within the grouping.

Japan

Focuses on maintaining regional stability, promoting maritime security, and diversifying supply chains, often emphasizing economic cooperation and infrastructure development.

Role in topic

JPN is a proactive member, contributing significantly to discussions on maritime law, infrastructure development, and economic resilience. Its emphasis on a rules-based order is a core tenet of the Quad's objectives.

Australia

Prioritizes regional security, climate resilience, and economic engagement in the Indo-Pacific, seeking to strengthen partnerships that support a stable and prosperous region.

Role in topic

AUS contributes to the Quad's security and economic agenda, particularly in areas concerning maritime domain awareness and humanitarian assistance. Its geographical position makes its perspective on regional security highly relevant.

China

Views the Quad as an attempt to contain its rise and influence in the Indo-Pacific, often criticizing its activities as forming an exclusive bloc.

Role in topic

While not a member, CHN is a significant external actor whose actions and policies are a primary driver for the Quad's existence and agenda. Its growing military and economic presence in the Indo-Pacific is a central theme in Quad discussions.

Topics & background

The background behind each topic and the actors that shape it.

Quad Trade Agenda: Resilient Supply Chains and Open Markets

Trade has become a central pillar of the Quad's agenda since the grouping's 2021 leaders' summit, driven by the disruptions of COVID-19, semiconductor shortages, and growing concern over economic coercion by China. The four members account for roughly a third of global GDP, but they are not a trade bloc: the US withdrew from the TPP in 2017, India declined to join RCEP in 2019, and Japan and Australia anchor the CPTPP. Instead, the Quad has pursued sectoral cooperation through the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework (IPEF), the Supply Chain Resilience Initiative, and coordinated controls on outbound investment and export licensing for sensitive goods. The core dispute today is how far to harmonize trade and investment screening without alienating ASEAN partners who fear a bifurcation of the regional economy. India remains outside IPEF's trade pillar but has joined the supply chain and clean economy pillars, while tariff frictions — including US Section 232 measures and India's digital trade restrictions — complicate intra-Quad commerce. Members are now negotiating common standards on critical minerals, pharmaceuticals, and clean-tech inputs while managing exposure to Chinese overcapacity in EVs, solar, and steel.

Key players

Energy Security in the Indo-Pacific

Indo-Pacific energy security has been reshaped by Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which redirected global LNG flows, and by China's dominance over clean-energy supply chains, including more than 80 percent of solar module production and the bulk of refined critical minerals. Japan, the world's second-largest LNG importer, and India, where over 80 percent of crude is imported, are particularly exposed to Strait of Hormuz and Malacca Strait chokepoints. Australia, by contrast, is a top exporter of LNG, coal, and uranium, and the United States has become the world's largest LNG exporter since 2023. The Quad's energy agenda spans hydrocarbons and the clean-energy transition. The Clean Energy Supply Chain Initiative, launched in 2023, aims to diversify solar, battery, and hydrogen inputs away from Chinese chokepoints, while the Quad Critical Minerals Arrangement targets co-investment in processing capacity. Tensions remain over India's continued purchases of discounted Russian crude, divergent net-zero timelines, and the financing of coal transitions in third countries across Southeast Asia.

Key players

Defence Ties Among the Quad Partners

Although the Quad is officially not a military alliance, defence ties among the four have deepened markedly since its 2017 revival. The US maintains treaty alliances with Japan and Australia, while its partnership with India has evolved through the 2016 Major Defense Partner designation and the foundational LEMOA, COMCASA, and BECA agreements. Exercise Malabar, originally a US–India naval drill, now routinely includes Japan and Australia, and AUKUS — though formally separate — overlaps in personnel and technology streams. China's military build-up, including its expanding navy and assertive posture across the Taiwan Strait, East China Sea, and Himalayan border with India, has accelerated this convergence. The central question is how to harden interoperability and defence-industrial cooperation without formalizing a collective-defence obligation that India in particular rejects. Current workstreams include co-production of jet engines and armored vehicles between the US and India, Japan's relaxation of arms-export restrictions, Australia's nuclear-powered submarine acquisition under AUKUS Pillar I, and joint maritime domain awareness. Disputes persist over technology-transfer thresholds, India's continued Russian defence inventory, and the political optics of trilateral patrols in contested waters.

Key players

Indo-Pacific Cooperation and Regional Architecture

The concept of a 'Free and Open Indo-Pacific,' originally articulated by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in 2016 and adopted by successive US administrations, frames the Quad's regional vision. The grouping has positioned itself as a public-goods provider rather than a security bloc, launching initiatives on vaccines, infrastructure, undersea cables, climate adaptation, and STEM scholarships. ASEAN centrality remains a stated principle, and the Quad has carefully calibrated its messaging to avoid being perceived as an anti-China containment vehicle in Jakarta, Hanoi, or Kuala Lumpur. The core debate is whether the Quad can deliver tangible benefits to Southeast Asian and Pacific Island partners at the scale of China's Belt and Road. The Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA), and infrastructure financing through tools like the US DFC, Japan's JBIC, and Australia's AIFFP are key deliverables. Tensions exist over coordination with ASEAN-led mechanisms, the inclusion of Pacific Island states in Quad deliverables, and balancing US-China competition against regional preferences for non-alignment.

Key players

Maritime and Transnational Security

The Indo-Pacific hosts the world's busiest sea lanes, through which roughly 60 percent of global maritime trade and a third of shipping passes. Maritime security threats have multiplied: Chinese coast guard and maritime militia activity in the South China Sea and around Taiwan, North Korean sanctions evasion via ship-to-ship transfers, Houthi attacks affecting Red Sea trade since late 2023, piracy and illegal fishing in the Indian Ocean, and grey-zone tactics around the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands. Transnational threats — narcotics trafficking, cybercrime, and people-smuggling — increasingly intersect with state-linked actors. The Quad's flagship response is IPMDA, launched in 2022, which provides near-real-time maritime tracking data to partners across Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and the Indian Ocean by fusing commercial satellite feeds with AIS data. Members also coordinate on counter–illegal fishing, HADR-ready naval logistics, and dark-vessel detection. Disputes center on how aggressively to confront Chinese grey-zone activity, the scope of intelligence-sharing with non-Quad partners, and the legal frameworks governing interdiction in international waters.

Key players

Economic Prosperity and Security

Economic security has emerged as a distinct policy domain since 2022, blending traditional trade and investment policy with national-security tools. The Quad members have converged on the language of 'de-risking,' first articulated by the EU and endorsed at the 2023 G7 Hiroshima Summit, which seeks to reduce critical dependencies without full economic decoupling. Instruments include outbound investment screening (the US executive order of August 2023), Japan's Economic Security Promotion Act of 2022, Australia's Foreign Investment Review Board reforms, and India's Press Note 3 restrictions on FDI from neighboring countries. The agenda spans countering economic coercion — exemplified by China's restrictions on Australian wine, barley, and coal during 2020–2023 — protecting sensitive technologies, securing supply chains for semiconductors and critical minerals, and combating non-market practices. The Quad has launched a Critical and Emerging Technology Working Group and explored joint responses to coercive trade measures. Open questions include how to harmonize export controls across four jurisdictions with different legal systems, how to avoid harming third-country development, and how to engage the private sector in implementation.

Key players

Critical and Emerging Technologies

Technology competition sits at the heart of the Quad's relevance. The grouping established a Critical and Emerging Technologies Working Group in 2021 covering semiconductors, AI, quantum, biotechnology, advanced telecommunications, and space. US export controls on advanced chips and chipmaking equipment to China, expanded in October 2022 and tightened in 2023, are coordinated with Japan and the Netherlands. Japan's Rapidus initiative, India's Semiconductor Mission, and Australia's National Reconstruction Fund all aim to build sovereign capacity in adjacent layers of the technology stack. Key workstreams include open RAN deployments in Southeast Asia and the Pacific, principles for trustworthy AI, biosecurity standards, joint standards-setting in bodies like the ITU and ISO, and protection of research integrity in universities. Disputes persist over the scope of export controls, data-localization rules — particularly India's — talent mobility, and how to engage non-Quad democracies such as South Korea, the Netherlands, and Taiwan in coordinated controls. The dual-use nature of AI and biotech is increasingly forcing the Quad to confront civilian–military fusion in both China and Russia.

Key players

Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response

The Indo-Pacific is the world's most disaster-prone region, accounting for roughly 40 percent of global natural disasters over the past decade. The Quad's origins trace to the ad hoc 'Tsunami Core Group' that coordinated relief after the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and HADR has remained a politically uncontroversial pillar of cooperation. In 2022 the four ministers signed the Quad Partnership on HADR in the Indo-Pacific, establishing standard operating procedures, joint logistics planning, and pre-positioning of relief stocks. Quad navies and coast guards responded jointly to the 2022 Tonga eruption and the 2023 Papua New Guinea landslide. The core agenda today involves scaling pre-positioned stockpiles, improving interoperability of military and civilian logistics, integrating climate-risk forecasting, and aligning with ASEAN's AHA Centre and the Pacific Islands Forum's disaster frameworks. Open questions include how to deliver assistance in politically sensitive contexts such as Myanmar post-Cyclone Mocha, how to finance climate-driven displacement under the loss-and-damage framework agreed at COP27, and how to ensure Quad HADR complements rather than duplicates UN OCHA-led responses.

Key players

Resources

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Lessons

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Engagement Strategies

Dynamic Analysis

Stakeholder Mapping Workshop

Courses

Guided courses that go deeper on the topic

Advanced Negotiation

Multilateral Negotiation

Policy Brief Writing

Conflict Resolution

The states in play, with the data that shapes their stance

Country dossier

Country dossier

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Country dossier

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Country dossier

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By committee

Frequently asked questions

Quad Foreign Ministers’ Summit 2026

May 26, 2026New Delhi, IndiaIn-person

Registration open

Committees & topics

Topics
Quad Trade Agenda: Resilient Supply Chains and Open Markets · Energy Security in the Indo-Pacific · Defence Ties Among the Quad Partners · Indo-Pacific Cooperation and Regional Architecture · Maritime and Transnational Security · Economic Prosperity and Security · Critical and Emerging Technologies · Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Response

Why it matters

How to prepare

Country perspectives

Where the most-relevant 5 countries stand on the core issues in play. Click through for the full country profile.

India

Aims to strengthen its strategic autonomy and enhance its role as a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific, balancing its relationships with various global powers.

Role in topic

United States

Seeks to reinforce a free and open Indo-Pacific, counterbalancing the influence of CHN and promoting democratic values and economic partnerships.

Role in topic

Japan

Focuses on maintaining regional stability, promoting maritime security, and diversifying supply chains, often emphasizing economic cooperation and infrastructure development.

Role in topic

Australia

Prioritizes regional security, climate resilience, and economic engagement in the Indo-Pacific, seeking to strengthen partnerships that support a stable and prosperous region.

Role in topic

China

Views the Quad as an attempt to contain its rise and influence in the Indo-Pacific, often criticizing its activities as forming an exclusive bloc.

Role in topic