External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has arrived in New York to participate in the high-level session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) taking place this week. He has a packed schedule ahead, during which he will hold numerous bilateral and multilateral meetings with leaders arriving from various nations.
Upon his arrival in New York, he was welcomed by a delegation of senior Indian diplomats.
External Affairs Minister Jaishankar is scheduled to address the UNGA during the afternoon session on Saturday. This session will commence at 3:00 PM local time, which corresponds to 12:30 AM (Sunday) in India. In his address, Jaishankar will articulate India’s perspective on various global issues. He will also outline India’s priorities and concerns to the leaders of the 193 UN member states gathered for this annual high-level meeting.
Leading up to and during the high-level session—which begins tomorrow, Tuesday—Jaishankar will meet with leaders, foreign ministers, and UN officials from various countries. Some of these will be direct bilateral meetings, while others will take place on the sidelines of various multilateral forums. Several informal meetings are also expected to occur.
Discussions during some of these meetings may also focus on India’s assistance programs for various nations of the Global South. India implements these programs both directly and through the UN and other multilateral institutions. Jaishankar will also have the opportunity to garner support for India’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council. Elections for this are scheduled for next year, with the elected country’s two-year term set to begin in 2028.
During this visit, he may also speak about India’s six-point manifesto, ‘SHANTU’. The full form of SHANTU is ‘Securing Holistic Advancement through Norms, Trust, and Integrity’. Simply put, it signifies ensuring progress across all sectors through established norms, mutual trust, and integrity. Jaishankar’s schedule in New York includes an event at the Asia Society on September 26. Bangladesh’s Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman is the President of the current session of the UN General Assembly.
During last year’s high-level session, Jaishankar held 47 bilateral meetings and participated in 10 multilateral meetings. Additionally, he held dozens of informal meetings with leaders from various countries; he shared this information in a Facebook post while recalling that busy week.
