Biden to host allies in first Quad leader meeting

WASHINGTON

US President Joe Biden will host the leaders of three vital Asian allies later this week, the White House confirmed Tuesday.

Friday's virtual meeting will mark the first time the Quad -- a group that consists of the US, Japan, Australia and India -- convened at the leader level.

White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said Biden, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, Indian Premier Narendra Modi and Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrisson will discuss the COVID response, economic cooperation and efforts to combat climate change.

“This is an opportunity to engage at an even higher level than has been done in the past with key partners to the United States," she told reporters. "There’s a range of issues to discuss and work together on, whether it's addressing the climate crisis, whether it's working together to address the global pandemic, or, of course, economic cooperation."