New Delhi, Mar 10 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be attending the first Quad leaders' virtual summit on March 12.

An official statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs said that along with PM Modi, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Japan's Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga and US President Joe Biden will also participate in the summit of the Quadrilateral framework.

The leaders will discuss regional and global issues of shared interest, and exchange views on practical areas of cooperation towards maintaining a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region.

The summit will provide an opportunity to exchange views on contemporary challenges such as resilient supply chains, emerging and critical technologies, maritime security, and climate change.

The statement said the leaders will discuss ongoing efforts to combat Covid-19 pandemic and explore opportunities for collaboration in ensuring safe, equitable and affordable vaccines in the Indo-Pacific region.

The summit assumes significance in view of the fact that the previous US administration under Donald Trump was keen on formalising Quad grouping of the four nations to counter China's expansion and aggression in the region.