Quad foreign ministers meet in Atlanta on sidelines of G20 summit

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Quad foreign ministers S. Jaishankar, Toshimitsu Motegi, and Penny Wong in Atlanta on October 31, 2026, to plan a leaders' summit in Manila on November 15-18. Held alongside the G20 meeting, the gathering highlighted geopolitical tensions, as organizers canceled the official photo due to European objections over Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. Rubio urged international cooperation despite ongoing diplomatic fractures.

Quad foreign ministers meeting in Atlanta

• ▪The Quad foreign ministers of Australia, India, Japan and the United States previously met in New Delhi in May 2026 and in Manila in July 2026
• ▪A Quad Foreign Ministers meeting hosted by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Atlanta included Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong
• ▪U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio met with the foreign ministers of Australia, India, and Japan in Atlanta on October 31, 2026, marking their third meeting of the year

Plans and history of Quad leaders' summits

• ▪Formal leaders' summits of the Quad countries—the United States, Australia, India, and Japan—did not begin until U.S. President Joe Biden took office in 2021
• ▪U.S. President Donald Trump canceled a scheduled Quad summit in India in late 2025 due to trade frictions and tariff disputes with New Delhi
• ▪Plans among the Quad countries are taking shape for a Quad leaders' summit to be hosted by U.S. President Donald Trump during the ASEAN conference on November 15-18, 2026

Marco Rubio G20 remarks and schedule

• ▪U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio called on G20 members to cooperate on complex economic and geopolitical challenges despite non-aligning national interests
• ▪U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stated during a reception at the Georgia Aquarium that G20 foreign ministers should lay groundwork for a leaders' summit on December 14-15, 2026 at Doral
• ▪U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio invited G20 ministers to watch a college football game between the University of Florida and the University of Georgia following the G20 and Quad meetings in Atlanta on October 31, 2026
• ▪U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio scheduled a press conference following the conclusion of the G20 meetings in Atlanta on October 31, 2026

Rifts among G20 members over global conflicts

• ▪The G20 foreign ministers' meeting in Atlanta laying groundwork for a December 14-15 summit at Doral revealed deep member rifts regarding ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East
• ▪Organizers of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Atlanta nixed a traditional family photo after European members refused to be photographed alongside Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov