"Do stay tuned": Jaishankar says Quad Leaders' Summit was never cancelled and "wouldn't overread it"

He was responding to a question at the Munich Security Conference 2026 on whether the security grouping comprising India, the United States, Japan and Australia had lost momentum in the absence of a leaders' summit last year and whether the Quad's unity could be sustained under a second Trump administration.

"The fact that the Quad did not take place at the summit level itself, I wouldn't overread it. So do stay tuned," Jaishankar said.

He underscored that beyond high-level political meetings, the Quad's various working groups and institutional mechanisms continue to function. "The other parts of the Quad-the various mechanisms -all of those are going on," he said, signalling that cooperation among the four countries remains intact.

"I wouldn't say the Quad summit was cancelled because it was never specifically scheduled. It didn't take place. Yes, that's correct. But at the same time, I would point to the fact that the first meeting, which (US) Secretary (Mark) Rubio held the day he became Secretary of State, was the Quad foreign ministers' meeting and then he did a meeting again in July in Washington, for which all of us went. So we actually had two Quad foreign ministers meeting and I want to assure you that the other parts of the Quad, the various mechanisms, all of those are going on," the External Affairs Minister said.

Jaishankar was in conversation with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on the topic "Navigating Uncertainty: India and Germany in a World in Disarray." It was moderated by Roula Khalaf of the Financial Times.

India is supposed to host the next Quad Leaders' Summit.

On February 13, US Senators Tim Kaine and Pete Ricketts, members of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote to US Secretary of State and National Security Advisor Marco Rubio, encouraging the Trump Administration to schedule the next Quadrilateral Security Dialogue.

In the letter, the senators underscored the importance of the Quad partnership in advancing the US national security and ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific.

The senators also stressed the importance of convening a Quad Summit ahead of an expected meeting in April between US President Trump and his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

At this pivotal moment of intense strategic competition with the People's Republic of China, convening a Quad Leaders' Summit would send a clear signal of unity, resolve, and strategic coherence among leading Indo-Pacific democracies," wrote the senators.

"Convening a Quad summit prior to President Trump's planned meeting with Xi Jinping in April would be a decisive demonstration of US leadership in the Indo-Pacific prior to the President's visit to Beijing. A successful Quad summit beforehand would allow President Trump to engage from a position of greater leverage," the senators' letter read.

It also referenced "The Administration's announcement of a trade deal with India," saying it "lays the groundwork to significantly deepen strategic and defence cooperation with India and across the Indo-Pacific."

Highlighting common concerns, the senators wrote, "All four Quad partners face shared challenges including supply chain vulnerabilities, restrictions on critical minerals, threats to a free and open Indo-Pacific, and intensifying competition over emerging technologies."

They added that "China has subjected Japan in particular to increased diplomatic pressure, military intimidation, and economic coercion that threatens regional stability and international norms."

The Republican senators said that the Quad is uniquely positioned to address these challenges and advance many of the objectives outlined in President Trump's 2025 National Security Strategy, building upon successes of previous administrations, including strengthening allied deterrence, reducing strategic dependencies on adversaries, safeguarding technological leadership, and upholding freedom of navigation."

"We look forward to working with you to strengthen the Quad at this pivotal moment for US diplomacy and urge you to prioritize organizing a Quad Leaders' Summit, and ensuing Foreign Minister and working group meetings. Doing so would reinforce American leadership, empower our closest partners, and ensure that future engagement with Beijing is grounded in unity, strength, and strategic foresight," the senators concluded.

Meanwhile, US Assistant Secretary for South and Central Asia, Paul Kapur, underlined that a strong India not only keeps China out of the Indo-Pacific region but also prevents it or any single hegemon from taking over or imposing coercive leverage on the region.

Assistant Secretary Kapur told a subcommittee on South and Central Asia's hearing on February 11 to examine America's foreign policy across South-Central Asia that India, with its size, location, and commitment to a free and open region, anchors South Asia and, more broadly, the western half of the Indo-Pacific.

"The United States and India maintain high-level diplomatic touchpoints such as the 2+2 Ministerial and cooperate closely in the defence technology and energy sectors, bilaterally and also through the Quad. Cooperation in these areas has remained robust," Kapur had said.

To a question by Ranking Member of the committee, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a Democrat, the US Assistant Secretary Kapur said, "I would just point out that the Quad is important to us, and Secretary Rubio's first engagement when he became Secretary of State was in fact a Quad engagement, so it's important to us."

Kamlager-Dove also said she was concerned that the Quad was mentioned just twice in the 2025 National Security Strategy of the Trump Administration.

"I think the Quad is a very important platform. It has done well. It was defunct in I think 2017, when it was revived during the first Trump administration and it's grown in importance since then. And it's a platform that enables us to connect and cooperate in unique ways with our like-minded partners, Kapur said.

Responding to Keith Self, a Texas Republican, Kapur said, "India has been an active member of the Quad, and we interact with India both bilaterally and in the Quad context. And it's a promising venue for us to cooperate and for us to cooperate with other like-minded states in the region." He added, "I don't know if I'd say they're aggressive, but they are important members of the Quad. (ANI)