日米豪印、初の対面首脳会談へ　今月下旬、ワシントンで

　菅義偉首相が検討する９月下旬の米国訪問に関連し、日米両国とオーストラリア、インドの４カ国（通称クアッド）が初めてとなる対面の首脳会談をワシントンで開く方向で調整していることが分かった。日本政府関係者が９日、明らかにした。「自由で開かれたインド太平洋」の実現に向け４カ国の連携強化を確認。新型コロナウイルス対策をめぐっても意見交換する見通しだ。（2021/09/09-12:40）

The first in-person summit among the "Quad" nations of Japan, the United States, Australia and India is being mulled for late this month, Japanese government sources said Thursday.
   The leaders' meeting will coincide with a planned U.S. visit by outgoing Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.
   The participants are seen agreeing to step up the four countries' cooperation over the concept of a free and open Indo-Pacific and exchange views on novel coronavirus measures, the sources said.
   Suga last week announced his intent not to run in the Sept. 29 leadership election for Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, meaning that he will resign as prime minister. It is very rare for an outgoing prime minister to take a foreign trip just before the resignation.
   Suga's trip to Washington will come after the United States, which hosts the Quad summit, invited him to the meeting, the sources said. Japan will also work on setting up a one-on-one meeting between Suga and U.S. President Joe Biden, according to the sources.