Australia pulls out of the Sydney Quad summit after Biden’s postponement

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Australia has cancelled the Quad meeting in Sydney after the US postponed the meeting due to an outbreak of COVID-19 in the US.

The meeting had been scheduled for March 4 with the aim of strengthening the Quad – a strategic partnership between Australia, India, Japan and the United States.

The US Embassy in Canberra said the postponement was due to a surge in COVID-19 cases in the US.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was “disappointed” to hear of the postponement but respected the US decision.

In a statement, the department said it was working with the Quad partners to reschedule the meeting at a later date.