WASHINGTON: Japan has agreed to hold a quad group meeting involving the United States, Australia and India next year, the Coordinator of the White House for the Indo-Pacific, Kurt Campbell, said on Friday.
Campbell, speaking at the US Institute of Peace, a Think Tank Tank Washington, did not explain in detail the type of quad meeting which will be held by Japan next year.
Kyodo News reported that previous diplomatic sources showed that Tokyo had explored the idea of accommodating the second Quad Summit.
“We will work with them at times and to ensure we follow up on what we have committed, which is extraordinarily important, but also see new initiatives too,” he said.
If this quad summit takes place, it will be the first to be held by Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
During the meeting of the first four people in Washington in September, leaders from four countries were committed to “free and open and open indo-pacific” and agreed to hold leaders’ meetings every year.
Campbell said Quad was not a “formal alliance” and the current consensus was that “it was right to be considered an informal meeting.” “I don’t believe we will take steps in the near future to institutionalize the” group, he added.
Japan to host Quad Group meets next year: US Officials
