Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other Quad leaders — US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida– today held the Quad Summit in Hiroshima, amid increasing tough posturing by China on maritime and territorial issues.

Addressing the summit, PM Modi hailed the efforts by the Quad countries to give a practical dimension to their vision of a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific.

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Quad, he said, has emerged as a platform to ensure peace, stability and progress in the Indo-Pacific. There was no doubt that Quad was an engine for bilateral trade, innovations and growth in the region.

Quad, the PM said, would continue to make efforts towards global good, welfare of the people, prosperity and peace. India would be happy to host the next summit, he added.

Japanese PM Albanese said Quad would listen to the voices of regional countries of ASEAN, South Asia and Pacific island states to engage in practical cooperation which delivers true benefits to the region as a force for good.

The Australian leader said he was delighted to be among close friends again. ”We are standing together for an open, stable, secure, and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. A region where sovereignty is respected and all countries, large and small, benefit from the regional balance,” he added.

The Quad Summit was earlier scheduled to be held in Sydney on 24 May but since President Biden was unable to visit Australia due to domestic issues, the four leaders decided to hold their meeting in Hiroshima which is also hosting the G7 Summit.