Swaraj to take part in Trump meeting on UNGA sidelines
NEWDELHI: External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will lead the Indian delegation to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) session this year and attend a meeting called by US President Donald Trump on the reforms of the world body.
This is the second time since the NDA came to power at the Centre in 2014 that the 65-year-old leader will lead the Indian delegation at the United Nations.
The senior BJP leader is likely to have packed schedule involving meetings with an array of leaders on the sidelines of UNGA, which she would address on September 23.
She would share podium with her Pakistan counterpart Khawaja Muhammad Asif at a huddle of foreign ministers of SAARC .
Swaraj is also scheduled to take part in meeting of the leaders of Non-aligned Movement, G4 (India, Brazil, Germany and Japan) BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), Community of Latin American and Caribbean States and G77 group of developing nations.
“The external affairs minister is expected to hold about 20 bilateral and trilateral meetings with leaders attending the session,” external affairs ministry spokesman Raveesh Kumar said.
Ahead of the UN session, India said UN reforms need to be “broad-based and all-encompass- ing” and the changes should not be restricted to its Secretariat only.
“We feel that reforms need to be much more broad-based. You cannot have reform only of the Secretariat. Reforms cannot side step issues related to governance of UN bodies,” India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Syed Akbaruddin told reporters.
His remarks came as US President Donald Trump was set to deliver his first speech to the UN General Assembly next week.
“For us reform is broad based, it’s all encompassing. And we look to engage with all our friends and colleagues from other countries on this,” Akbaruddin said.
India is among the 120 countries who have supported the reform efforts of the UN Secretary General.
“Winds of change are blowing globally so therefore UN cannot be left aside. So, reform is a major issue in the UN,” Akbaruddin said.
Akbaruddin said that issues of climate change, terrorism, people centric migration and peacekeeping are other key focus areas for India this year.
The external affairs minister (Swaraj) is expected to hold about 20 bilateral and trilateral meetings with leaders attending the session. RAVEESH KUMAR, external affairs ministry spokesman