The White House and US State Department announced plans on Wednesday to hold an anticipated summit of the world's democracies in December of this year.

The summit is in keeping with a promise the Biden administration has made to bring together leaders of the world's democracies to shore up the ideological battle lines as the world confronts a crisis of autocratic authoritarianism.

While the summit, scheduled for December 9-10 of this year, will be virtual due to the ongoing pandemic, US President Joe Biden will hold follow-up in-person consultations in December of 2022, the White House announced.

In a statement announcing the two summits, the State Department said, "Public distrust and the failure of governments to deliver equitable and sustainable economic and political progress has fueled political polarization and the rise of leaders who are undermining democratic norms and institutions."

The State Department added the purpose is to "build a shared foundation for global democratic renewal."

ar/aw (Reuters)