The foreign ministers of the Quad nations—India, the United States, Japan, and Australia—are scheduled to meet in the Philippines in approximately two weeks, US Ambassador to India Sergio Gor declared at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) Leadership Summit. The meeting will take place on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings, hosted by the Philippines as the 2026 ASEAN Chair in Manila from July 20 to 22.
Quad Ministerial Meeting on ASEAN Sidelines
Gor announced the upcoming gathering, stating, "I wanna make an announcement here today. We were very pleased to have the Quad meeting in Delhi, and that's something we aim to build up. One of the things that we're actually looking to do is in about two weeks, all four of our foreign ministers will be in the Philippines and we'll look forward to having a Quad meeting on the sidelines of the Philippines." This meeting reinforces the Quad's centrality to driving a free, open, and resilient Indo-Pacific, according to the ambassador.
Follow-Up Ministerial in Australia and Leaders' Summit
The American envoy further specified that the Manila deliberations will be followed by a separate ministerial assembly in Australia before the heads of state of the four partner democracies gather for a future summit. "We do aim to have a Quad meeting at some point, a ministerial Quad meeting in Australia," Gor said, adding, "And followed ultimately by a leaders meeting which we're trying to nail down. That would include President Trump coming to India. The Quad is extremely important."
Focus on Maritime Capabilities and Boat Building
Gor recalled that a specific initiative rolled out during the earlier Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in New Delhi concentrated heavily on boosting naval and maritime capabilities across the Indo-Pacific expanse. "One of the deliverables that was announced in Delhi was that the four countries will focus on building boats in the region. That includes Fiji specifically. We wanna make sure that we are present in the Pacific. We're growing, we're enhancing our security, we're working with trusted partners. And India is on that list, very high that list," Gor underlined.
India as a Key Strategic Partner
The diplomat noted that Washington views New Delhi as among its most reliable strategic allies in the Indo-Pacific, with clear objectives to continue scaling up collaboration in defence, maritime domain awareness, cutting-edge technologies, and regional peace. This partnership is central to the Quad's evolving agenda.
Philippines and the Security Quad
Speaking at the Raisina Dialogue in March 2026, Romeo S. Brawner Jr., Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, informed that the Philippines had recently signed an agreement between the Chiefs of Defence of the United States, Australia, Japan, and the Philippines, called the Security Quad. Brawner said they look to welcome other partners like India into the Security Quad to counter what he described as China's expansionism goals.
Quad's Role in Indo-Pacific Security
Comprising Australia, India, Japan, and the United States, the Quad has developed into a cornerstone security architecture across the Indo-Pacific. Though it does not function as a formal military treaty, its core mandate focuses on championing an open and inclusive maritime space through shared work on port security, critical technologies, supply chain flexibility, infrastructure, cybersecurity, and disaster response.
The coalition has acquired significant strategic weight amid rising geopolitical rivalries in the region. Over the past few years, the four partner states have multi-layered their engagement through regular high-level summits, ministerial dialogues, and the annual Malabar naval exercises, while simultaneously aligning on emerging tech ecosystems, global health security, and maritime surveillance networks.
