First on CNN: Biden to host ‘Quad’ leaders in Delaware hometown as he bolsters foreign policy legacy

Washington CNN —

President Joe Biden will welcome the leaders of Australia, India and Japan this month for the final “Quad” summit of his term, adding a personal touch to the event by hosting it in his hometown of Wilmington, Delaware, senior administration officials tell CNN.

The gathering comes as the president has recalibrated plans for the final months of his term in office, shifting from campaigning for reelection to refocusing his attention to domestic and foreign policy issues, including working to shore up alliances as he prepares a handoff to the next administration.

Biden has long made fostering personal relationships a signature piece of his foreign policy work, making the hometown summit a fitting coda for a partnership that has been central to the president’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific.

The Quad summit, which will include Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, will take place on September 21 ahead of the United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York City, senior administration officials previewed to CNN.

India was initially this year’s host country for the leaders’ event, but officials agreed to move the summit to the US as world leaders traveled to the UN General Assembly, with plans for India to host next year.

Officials said the decision to host the meeting in the president’s hometown instead of on the sidelines of UNGA in New York City was intentional, stressing Biden’s commitment to reinforce his personal relationships in his alliance-building strategy.

White House officials have zeroed in on planning for the summit in recent weeks, looking to incorporate personal touches, including places of significance