G-7 Summit in Japan and QUAD Summit in Australia – coming mega events in May 2023

On May 24, PM Modi will join his counterparts from Australia and Japan – Anthony Albanese, Kishida Fumio, and the US President Joe Biden in Sydney for the vital 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit.

Of course, prior to that, Japan will host the G-7 Summit, wherein PM Modi has been invited too.

Australian PM Anthony Albanese will host the mega event, Quad Leaders’ Summit. Of course, Australia, along with India, Japan and the United States, share a vision for an open, stable and prosperous Indo-Pacific that is governed by “accepted rules and norms” where the countries can cooperate, trade and thrive.

“Every year, the four Quad Leaders meet to discuss the region’s most pressing challenges and advance the Quad’s positive and practical agenda,” the Australian Government has stated. It further said that the 2023 Sydney Quad Leaders’ Summit would showcase the Quad’s enduring contribution to the region and “the tangible benefits we are delivering for Indo-Pacific partners”.

The Quad partners collaborate across six leader-level working groups on Health Security, Climate, Critical and Emerging Technologies, Space, Infrastructure and Cyber. It is stated that the Quad vaccine experts group promotes cooperation between Quad countries and Indo-Pacific partners. As part of this, the Quad vaccine partnership has delivered almost 800 million safe and effective COVID-19 vaccine doses globally – including more than 400 million doses for Indo-Pacific countries.

In 2022, Quad Leaders agreed to a Quad Climate Change Adaptation and Mitigation Package (Q-CHAMP) to accelerate cooperation on climate resilience in the region, sources said.

In September 2021, Quad Leaders agreed to work together on artificial intelligence; semi-conductor supply chains; and monitoring trends in critical and emerging technologies, including advanced biotechnologies. The Quad is also deepening engagement with industry on Open Radio Access Networks (Open RAN) and joint facilitation of 5G and 6G test beds in the Indo-Pacific.

The Space Working Group is identifying ways to share satellite data to monitor and adapt to climate change, enhance disaster preparedness, and respond to threats in shared domains.

The group shares satellite data expertise and technology, cooperates on capacity building for sustainable development, and consults on norms and guidelines. Achievements to date include mapping each country’s capabilities and launching an Earth Observation (EO) data website.

At the 2022 Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo, the Quad Leaders committed to ensuring countries in the region have access to quality, sustainable, climate-resilient infrastructure.

The Quad partners also share assessments of regional infrastructure needs and coordinate on technical assistance and capacity-building efforts.

Meanwhile, it is learnt that the Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation (IADF) will host a grand community reception in honour of PM Modi on May 23 in Sydney, just a day ahead of the QUAD Leaders’ Summit.

The IADF has already seen an overwhelming response to the event, including registration by more than 20,000 members to attend the event. More than 300 diaspora organisations from various social, cultural, linguistic, business, professional, and religious backgrounds have registered to become welcome partners for the reception.

Cultural programmes are also being planned for the grand reception for the PM.

Notably, ahead of Australia’s visit, PM Modi is likely to travel to Japan and Papua New Guinea to attend the G7 summit and Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation Summit, respectively.

The Indian Australian Diaspora Foundation is a non-profit organisation that aims to promote and celebrate the diverse Indian culture in Australia.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and PM Modi are likely to meet during the G7 Summit in Japan.

The 49th G7 summit will be held from May 19 to 21 in Hiroshima.

It is worth mentioning that Japan and India have also committed to cooperating on issues related to the sustainable development of the North Eastern region of India. This also included an initiative for the bamboo value chain in the North East and cooperation in health care connectivity and tourism.