In a turn of events, US President Joe Biden is reportedly not slated to attend India’s Republic Day celebrations next month, according to sources familiar with the matter. The anticipated summit of the Quad coalition, comprising India, the US, Japan, and Australia, is also deferred from its initial January schedule.
US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti had earlier conveyed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended an invitation to President Biden for the Republic Day event on January 26. However, there has been no official response from India regarding the invitation.
Simultaneously, it has been disclosed that the Quad summit, originally expected around January 27 if President Biden accepted India’s invite, is now proposed to take place in the later part of 2024. A source revealed that the current dates under consideration do not align with the availability of all Quad partners.
Washington has communicated to New Delhi that President Biden will not be able to travel to India for the Republic Day celebrations, leading to a reevaluation of plans. Despite this, there has been a series of high-profile visits by senior US officials to India in recent months, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, Principal Deputy NSA Jonathan Finer, and FBI Director Christopher Wray.
The visit by Finer and Wray is notably tied to Washington’s allegations of an Indian connection to a foiled plot to assassinate a Sikh separatist on US soil. India has initiated a probe into the matter.
Regarding the Quad summit, India is actively exploring fresh dates for the gathering. The previous Quad summit occurred in Hiroshima on May 20, with the leaders releasing a ‘Vision Statement’ titled ‘Enduring Partners for Indo-Pacific.’ The summit, initially planned for Sydney on May 24, was rescheduled to Hiroshima after President Biden postponed his trip to Australia.
The forthcoming Quad summit is anticipated to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region in response to increasing Chinese military assertiveness. The leaders aim to collaborate on clean energy supply chains, undersea cables, and strategic technologies, as outlined in their previous initiatives.
