Australia PM Albanese: Hopeful Quad leaders to meet in first quarter of 2026

Australia's Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Monday that a meeting of the Quad group leaders is likely to be held in the first quarter of 2026.



A meeting of the leaders of Australia, the United States, Japan and India had been expected to be hosted by India in 2025.



Albanese told reporters in Malaysia, where he is attending the ASEAN forum, that the Quad is an important forum for the four countries.



"I am hopeful there will be a meeting in the first quarter I would hope of next year," Albanese said.



The leaders' meeting rotates among the four countries.



Albanese said U.S. President Donald Trump "has a busy period" ahead in 2025, including attending the APEC summit in South Korea later this week.



The Australian leader met with China's Premier Li Qiang on the sidelines of ASEAN on Monday, during which Albanese said he raised concerns over an encounter between a Chinese fighter jet and an Australian maritime patrol aircraft.