Jaishankar engages with UN leaders, Guterres praises India's G20 presidency
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar held a series of meetings with top United Nations (UN) leadership in New York on Monday to discuss India's G20 Presidency, regional issues, and global challenges, PTI reported. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Dennis Francis, and United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) Administrator Achim Steiner participated in the meetings. The discussions also reportedly focused on India's contributions to the UN's sustainable development agenda and strengthening international cooperation.
Why does this story matter?
Jaishankar is on a nine-day visit to the United States (US), primarily to attend the annual session of the UNGA in New York and to host a special event on "Global South." This comes amid a diplomatic standoff between India and Canada after the latter accused the former of being involved in the killing of Canadian and Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar in June, which India has denied. The issue will likely dominate his meetings at the UNGA.
Guterres praises India's G20 leadership, discusses global issues
According to PTI, Guterres appreciated India's cooperation with the UN and its leadership of the G20. The UN secretary-general and Jaishankar also discussed the situations in Afghanistan and Myanmar, besides other global challenges, per the statement issued by the UN spokesperson's office. Taking to X, Jaishankar said it was a "pleasure" to meet with Guterres and that he discussed "how India's Presidency for the G20 Summit has contributed to strengthening" the UN's sustainable development agenda.
Priorities, reforms addressed in 78th UNGA session
Before meeting with Gutteres, Jaishankar reportedly discussed the priorities and key issues of the 78th UNGA session with Francis. The meeting reportedly focused on reforms in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and building on the outcomes of the Sustainable Development Goals Summit. They also talked about the upcoming Summit of the Future to be held in 2024. EAM thanked Francis for attending the special "India-UN for Global South" event on the UNGA sidelines, emphasizing the importance of reforming multilateralism.
Strengthening UN's sustainable development with India's G20
During his talks with Steiner, Jaishankar reportedly appreciated the UNDP's engagement with India's G20 Presidency initiatives. He said that they could work together to scale up the country's success stories for global benefit. He also held a "warm meeting" with "SAGAR partner," Minister for Foreign Affairs of Madagascar Yvette Sylla, on issues concerning security and growth for all in the region. "Discussed development partnership, millets and rice production, digital delivery, and defense cooperation," Jaishankar added.
