Munich [Germany], February 14 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday mentioned that the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) Leaders’ Summit was ‘not cancelled’ as a result of it had by no means been formally scheduled. While acknowledging {that a} leaders’ assembly didn’t happen, he cautioned towards overinterpreting that growth.
He was responding to a query on the Munich Security Conference 2026 on whether or not the safety grouping comprising India, the United States, Japan and Australia had misplaced momentum within the absence of a leaders’ summit final 12 months and whether or not the Quad’s unity could possibly be sustained below a second Trump administration.
‘The incontrovertible fact that the Quad didn’t happen on the summit stage itself, I would not overread it. So do keep tuned,’ Jaishankar mentioned.
He underscored that past high-level political conferences, the Quad’s numerous working teams and institutional mechanisms proceed to operate. ‘The different components of the Quad-the numerous mechanisms -all of these are happening,’ he mentioned, signalling that cooperation among the many 4 nations stays intact.
‘I would not say the Quad summit was cancelled as a result of it was by no means particularly scheduled. It did not happen. Yes, that is right. But on the identical time, I’d level to the truth that the primary assembly, which (US) Secretary (Mark) Rubio held the day he grew to become Secretary of State, was the Quad overseas ministers’ assembly after which he did a gathering once more in July in Washington, for which all of us went. So we really had two Quad overseas ministers assembly and I need to guarantee you that the opposite components of the Quad, the varied mechanisms, all of these are happening,’ the External Affairs Minister mentioned.
Jaishankar was in dialog with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on the subject ‘Navigating Uncertainty: India and Germany in a World in Disarray.’ It was moderated by Roula Khalaf of the Financial Times.
India is meant to host the subsequent Quad Leaders’ Summit.
On February 13, US Senators Tim Kaine and Pete Ricketts, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, encouraging the Trump Administration to schedule the subsequent Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.
In the letter, the senators underscored the significance of the Quad partnership in advancing the US nationwide safety and making certain a free and open Indo-Pacific.
The senators additionally harassed the significance of convening a Quad Summit forward of an anticipated assembly in April between US President Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.
At this pivotal second of intense strategic competitors with the People’s Republic of China, convening a Quad Leaders’ Summit would ship a transparent sign of unity, resolve, and strategic coherence amongst main Indo-Pacific democracies,’ wrote the senators.
‘Convening a Quad summit previous to President Trump’s deliberate assembly with Xi Jinping in April can be a decisive demonstration of US management within the Indo-Pacific previous to the President’s go to to Beijing. A profitable Quad summit beforehand would enable President Trump to interact from a place of better leverage,’ the senators’ letter learn.
It additionally referenced ‘The Administration’s announcement of a commerce take care of India,’ saying it ‘lays the groundwork to considerably deepen strategic and defence cooperation with India and throughout the Indo-Pacific.’
Highlighting widespread issues, the senators wrote, ‘All 4 Quad companions face shared challenges together with provide chain vulnerabilities, restrictions on important minerals, threats to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and intensifying competitors over rising applied sciences.’
They added that ‘China has subjected Japan specifically to elevated diplomatic strain, army intimidation, and financial coercion that threatens regional stability and worldwide norms.’
The Republican senators mentioned that the Quad is uniquely positioned to handle these challenges and advance lots of the targets outlined in President Trump’s 2025 National Security Strategy, constructing upon successes of earlier administrations, together with strengthening allied deterrence, lowering strategic dependencies on adversaries, safeguarding technological management, and upholding freedom of navigation.’
‘We stay up for working with you to strengthen the Quad at this pivotal second for US diplomacy and urge you to prioritize organizing a Quad Leaders’ Summit, and ensuing Foreign Minister and dealing group conferences. Doing so would reinforce American management, empower our closest companions, and be certain that future engagement with Beijing is grounded in unity, energy, and strategic foresight,’ the senators concluded.
Meanwhile, US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, Paul Kapur, underlined {that a} sturdy India not solely retains China out of the Indo-Pacific area but in addition prevents it or any single hegemon from taking on or imposing coercive leverage on the area.
Assistant Secretary Kapur informed a subcommittee on South and Central Asia’s listening to on February 11 to look at America’s overseas coverage throughout South-Central Asia that India, with its dimension, location, and dedication to a free and open area, anchors South Asia and, extra broadly, the western half of the Indo-Pacific.
‘The United States and India preserve high-level diplomatic touchpoints equivalent to the two+2 Ministerial and cooperate carefully within the defence expertise and power sectors, bilaterally and likewise by the Quad. Cooperation in these areas has remained strong,’ Kapur had mentioned.
To a query by Ranking Member of the committee, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a Democrat, the US Assistant Secretary Kapur mentioned, ‘I’d simply level out that the Quad is necessary to us, and Secretary Rubio’s first engagement when he grew to become Secretary of State was actually a Quad engagement, so it is necessary to us.’
Kamlager-Dove additionally mentioned she was involved that the Quad was talked about simply twice within the 2025 National Security Strategy of the Trump Administration.
‘I feel the Quad is an important platform. It has accomplished properly. It was defunct in I feel 2017, when it was revived throughout the first Trump administration and it is grown in significance since then. And it is a platform that permits us to attach and cooperate in distinctive methods with our like-minded companions, Kapur mentioned.
Responding to Keith Self, a Texas Republican, Kapur mentioned, ‘India has been an lively member of the Quad, and we work together with India each bilaterally and within the Quad context. And it is a promising venue for us to cooperate and for us to cooperate with different like-minded states within the area.’ He added, ‘I do not know if I’d say they’re aggressive, however they’re necessary members of the Quad. (ANI)