US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has confirmed that Washington is pushing to convene a summit of Quad leaders in Manila before the end of 2026. The meeting, which would bring together the heads of state from the United States, India, Japan, and Australia, is expected to take place alongside the upcoming Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) conference.
This development marks a potential return to high-level diplomacy for the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which has not seen a leaders’ summit since September 2024. While foreign ministers and senior officials have maintained a steady cadence of engagement, the absence of a summit at the head-of-state level has left the group without a primary platform for announcing new, large-scale initiatives. Rubio, speaking in an exclusive interview with Network18, noted that while a specific date remains pending, the four nations have reached an agreement to proceed with the gathering.
Restoring Momentum in the Indo-Pacific
The Quad, which traces its roots back to collaborative disaster relief following the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, has evolved into a cornerstone of regional security and economic cooperation. After a period of dormancy following its initial 2007 iteration, the group was revived in 2017 and elevated to the leaders’ level in 2021. However, the momentum faced a significant hurdle when a planned 2025 summit in India failed to materialize. That delay occurred against a backdrop of diplomatic friction, including trade disagreements and varying perspectives on the conflict between India and Pakistan.
Rubio emphasized that the Manila meeting is intended to move beyond social objectives. “There’s been an agreement that we’re going to do it. We’re going to do it in Manila at the ASEAN conference,” Rubio told Network18. He stressed that the goal is to produce “concrete measures” rather than broad, aspirational statements. This shift toward tangible deliverables is designed to reassert the group's relevance as regional issues like maritime security, resilient supply chains, and emerging technology dominate the agenda.
Balancing Regional Ties with Pakistan
The push for a Quad summit arrives as the United States manages a nuanced diplomatic path, characterized by a renewed engagement with Pakistan. This rapprochement has prompted questions about the consistency of U.S. strategy, particularly given India’s position as a vital partner in the Indo-Pacific.
“In the case of Pakistan, it’s a country with which we have to have a relationship,” Rubio stated. He drew a parallel to India’s own diplomatic engagements, noting that New Delhi maintains relationships with Iran despite regional tensions. Rubio stated that the U.S. must maintain ties with Pakistan as part of Washington’s broader engagement strategy in the region.
The Path to Concrete Deliverables
The diplomatic coordination within the Quad has persisted at the ministerial level despite the lack of a leaders’ summit. Rubio highlighted that his first official engagement as Secretary of State was with his counterparts from the Quad, and that subsequent meetings—including a May 2026 session in New Delhi—have kept the group’s objectives aligned. The upcoming summit in Manila is viewed as an opportunity to solidify these efforts.
As the member nations prepare for the Manila event, the focus remains on whether they can bridge the gaps that led to the cancellation of the 2025 summit. The stakes are high: the Quad serves as a critical counterweight to China’s expanding influence in the Indo-Pacific.
For now, the international community is waiting for the formal scheduling of the summit, which will serve as the first test of the group’s renewed commitment at the highest level since the Wilmington summit two years ago. The success of the meeting will likely be measured by the specific policy initiatives—ranging from technology infrastructure to maritime security protocols—that the leaders are prepared to announce.
