Australia among Quad nations planning first leaders' summit since 2024 in Manila in November

The leaders of Australia, the United States, Japan and India are expected to meet in Manila in November alongside the ASEAN Summit, after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the four Quad countries had agreed to hold their first leaders' summit since September 2024 there.

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The leaders of Australia, the United States, Japan and India are expected to meet in Manila next month after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced plans for a Quad leaders' summit alongside the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings, The Philippine Times reported. The proposed gathering would mark the first Quad leaders' summit since September 2024.

"It's been agreement now that we're going to do it; we're going to do it in Manila, at the ASEAN conference," Rubio told Indian broadcaster CNN-News18, according to Anadolu Agency. He said there was no specific date yet, and that member states intend to announce "concrete actions, not just simply a nice social gathering, but something that has concrete deliverables." The 49th ASEAN Summit and related meetings are scheduled for 16 to 18 November in Metro Manila.

The Quad is a diplomatic partnership of Australia, India, Japan and the United States focused on cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. The Philippines is not a member, but its role as ASEAN host gives the four countries an opportunity to meet in Manila. In July 2026, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong joined her counterparts at a Quad Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Manila.

Australia and the Philippines elevated their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2023 and are marking 80 years of diplomatic relations in 2026. The Philippine Times noted that the exact date of the Quad meeting has not been finalised, and further details are expected before the November summit.