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Prime Minister of Australia, Anthony Albanese, met with his Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, at Greenville, Delaware on Saturday (local time) ahead of Quad leaders' summit.
The Australian PM reiterated working towards a stable, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific region. "Australia and Japan are good friends. Today Prime Minister @kishida230 and I continued our work towards a stable, prosperous and secure Indo-Pacific region," posted Albanese on X. Notably, Biden administration is increasingly wary of China's coercive actions against the Philippines' maritime activities in the South China Sea. As per NHK World, a senior US official has revealed a plan to bolster coordination among the coast guards of the United States, Japan, Australia and India within the four nations' cooperative framework known as the Quad. The leaders are expected to agree to strengthen cooperation in maritime security. They appear to have China's growing maritime assertiveness in mind. The official indicated the plan to boost coast guard cooperation among the Quad will be announced in a joint statement to be released on Saturday, reported NHK World. The plan involves a US Coast Guard vessel for the first time allowing personnel from Quad counterparts, including the Japan Coast Guard, on board the ship for limited periods in the Indo Pacific. The official said the type of cooperation will continue on a rotational basis as appropriate. Quad is a diplomatic partnership between four countries--Australia, India, Japan, and the United States. US President Joe Biden is the host of the fourth in-person and sixth overall Quad Leaders' Summit in Delaware. The sixth edition of the Quad Leaders' Summit is a 'farewell' summit for both US President Joe Biden and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida before they step down from their respective offices. The first Quad Leaders Summit was held in virtual format in 2021. The second Quad Leaders' Summit (first in-person) was held in Washington, DC, on September 24, 2021. The third Quad Leaders' Summit was held virtually on March 3, 2022. The fourth Quad Leaders' Summit (second in-person) was hosted by Japan on May 24, 2022. The fifth Quad Leaders' Summit (third in-person) was held in Hiroshima, Japan, on May 20, 2023.The summit will focus on bolstering strategic convergence among our countries, advancing a shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region. White House Press Secretary, Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden will for the first time host foreign leaders in Wilmington, a reflection of his deep personal relationships with each of the Quad leaders. She said that the Quad Leaders Summit will focus on bolstering the strategic convergence among our countries, advancing our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and delivering concrete benefits for partners in the Indo-Pacific in key areas. (ANI)
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