“These leaders aren’t just essential to ensuring a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Biden said Saturday in a post on X. “They’re friends of mine and friends of our nation.”

Albanese, who met with Biden in Wilmington on Friday, said the summit will help ensure strong ties continue between Australia and the United States, the president said.

The meeting “strengthen our innovation alliance so we can tackle shared challenges together,” Biden said Friday in a post on X.

“When America and Australia stand as one, we force a future of greater opportunity and security for our countries and the Indo-Pacific,” he added.

The two leaders discussed efforts that include Britain to “promote a free and open Indo-Pacific that is secure and stable,” according to White House readout of the encounter.

They also discussed efforts to address climate change, clean energy, critical minerals supply chains and maintaining peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait that separates Taiwan and China and the South China Sea.

China has engaged in “coercive and destabilizing activities” in the South China Sea, the White House said.

Biden, Kishida, Modi and Albanese were set to gather for a quadrilateral meeting Saturday afternoon and later in the evening are expected to announce efforts to strengthen maritime security in the South Pacific and Oceana areas as well as the anti-cancer initiative.

“The Quad Leaders Summit will focus on bolstering the strategic convergence among our countries, advancing our shared vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and delivering concrete benefits for partners in the Indo-Pacific key areas,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a prepared statement.

The “key areas” include health security, natural disaster response, climate and clean energy, maritime security, infrastructure and technology, she said.