India at UNGA: Rising temperature, terrorism and Ukraine War high on agenda as Jaishankar embarks on 11-day US visit

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay an 11-day visit to the US beginning today to attend the UN General Assembly and participate in meetings of Quad, BRICS and several other key groupings.

He is also scheduled to hold talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and other senior officials of the Biden Administration.

Jaishankar will be in New York from September 18 to 24, while he will visit Washington DC from September 25 to 28, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). In New York, the external affairs minister (EAM) will be leading the India delegation for the “high-level week” at the 77th session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA), it said.

The theme of the 77th UNGA is “A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges.” Jaishankar’s address at the UNGA session is scheduled in the forenoon of September 24.

The 77th UN General Assembly session comes at a time when the world faces multifold crises on several fronts from food insecurity to climate concerns, to worsening human development index and an impending Ukraine war.

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed UN General Assembly where he termed ‘India as the mother of all democracies.’ The Prime Minister had also launched a veiled attack on Pakistan and China for being irresponsible.

India’s concern of military buildup in Afghanistan and terror activities of non-State actors in Pakistan remains its two primary concerns. However, the two biggest issues of the moment for the world remain the rising temperatures and the war in Ukraine, which are both sources of unimaginable misery to the people around the world.

While the effectiveness of the United Nations has been questioned for as long as it has existed, the benefits of attendance are undeniable. From the dais, countries broadcast their agendas, grievances and calls to action to the entire world and a permanent record.

This week is a key chance for countries often drowned out by what they decry as a hegemonic world order to grab the attention of a larger audience. It’s also a chance for leaders — especially those from countries with tensions — to engage in meetings on the sidelines in neutral territory. Those meetings are often called bilaterals, or “bilats”.

In addition to heavy hitters like Biden and Zelenskyy, expected addresses from new British Prime Minister Liz Truss, French President Emmanuel Macron, Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi and new Kenyan President William Ruto, among many others will be watched out for.

The MEA said Jaishankar “would also be participating in plurilateral meetings of the Quad, IBSA, BRICS, India — Presidency Pro Tempore CELAC, India-CARICOM and other trilateral formats, such as India-France-Australia, India-France-UAE and India-Indonesia-Australia.”

The IBSA is a forum which brings together India, Brazil and South Africa. The BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) has emerged as a key grouping.

The BRICS meeting is expected to be attended by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov.

The MEA said Jaishankar will also have bilateral meetings with foreign ministers of the G20 countries and UNSC member states, amongst others. The external affairs minister is also meeting with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the 77th President of the UN General Assembly Csaba Korosi.

After completion of the UNGA-related engagements, Jaishankar will visit Washington DC for bilateral meetings with US interlocutors.

“His programme includes inter alia, discussions with his counterpart Secretary of State Antony Blinken; senior members of the US Administration, US business leaders, a round-table focused on S&T and interaction with the Indian diaspora,” the MEA said.

“The EAM’s visit would enable a high-level review of the multifaceted bilateral agenda and strengthen cooperation on regional and global issues to further consolidate the India-US strategic partnership,” it said.