Why the Quad Must Overcome Its Diplomatic Nadir

(Sayantan Haldar – Observer Research Foundation) After nearly a year, the Quad will convene a high-level ministerial meeting in New Delhi on 26 May 2026. Arguably, the Quad is currently going through its most turbulent period of diplomatic synergy since the group’s resuscitation in 2017, following a high-level meeting between India, Australia, Japan, and the United States (US) on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit in Manila. This meeting marked the beginning of the Quad’s return after the group had withered due to differences in geopolitical compulsions and strategic approaches of the four countries vis-à-vis the China question in the earlier part of the previous decade. Since 2017, the Quad has convened at the foreign minister level as its primary forum for dialogue, paving the way for the first leader-level summit, held virtually in March 2021. – Why the Quad Must Overcome Its Diplomatic Nadir