External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will travel to New York this month for the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, while Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the upcoming meeting has been cancelled.
Last month, India contacted the UN headquarters to secure a speaking slot for the Prime Minister at the UN General Assembly. Meanwhile, the foreign ministry has not confirmed who will lead India’s delegation at the UN General Assembly this month.
Sources told Times of India that the UNGA session is not on PM Modi’s schedule and that his upcoming plans are not likely to change, unless there is a major breakthrough in India’s trade talks with the US.
However, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had said last month that he had discussed an in-person meeting with PM Modi during the UNGA meeting.
On the other hand, White House has announced that Trump is set to address the UNGA session this month. This will be Trump’s first UNGA address since his second term began in January. The US president’s speech at the UN will likely feature his “America First” trade war agenda, backing the punitive tariff measures as a necessary measure in view of the country’s interests.
Trump addressed the UN General Assembly multiple times during his first term (2017–2021), each time reinforcing his combative, “America First” approach. His 2017 debut was especially fiery, threatening to “totally destroy North Korea” if provoked and mocking leader Kim Jong-un as “Rocket Man.” He also lashed out at Iran’s leadership, calling the nuclear deal an “embarrassment.”