External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to embark on a 9-day US visit, lead India at the 78th UNGA

External Affairs Minister (EAM), Dr. S. Jaishankar is visiting the United States from 22-30 September. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), ​during his visit to New York from 22 to 26 September, Dr Jaishankar will be leading the Indian delegation for high-level week at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will represent India at the high-level week at the ongoing 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York from 22-26 September.

​In keeping with India’s support for Global South, the External Affairs Minister (EAM) will be hosting a special event ‘India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development’.

External Affairs Minister (EAM), Dr. S. Jaishankar is visiting the United States from 22-30 September. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), ​during his visit to New York from 22 to 26 September, Dr Jaishankar will be leading the Indian delegation for high-level week at the 78th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

​During the visit, the EAM would attend various plurilateral and bilateral meetings. The EAM will also be meeting with Secretary-General António Guterres and Dennis Francis, President of the 78th Session of the UN General Assembly. Jaishankar's address at the high-level session of the 78th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) is scheduled for the forenoon of September 26.

Upon completion of the 78UNGA-related engagements, the EAM will visit Washington D.C. from 27 to 30 September for bilateral meetings with US interlocutors. His program includes inter alia, discussions with his counterpart Antony Blinken, Secretary of State, senior members of the US Administration, US business leaders and think tanks. He will also be addressing the 4th World Culture Festival being organized by the Art of Living.

The general debate of the 78th session of the UNGA is considered the busiest diplomatic season of the year at the UN Headquarters, and the high-level session opens in September every year. The General Assembly hosts a much-watched debate of world leaders annually.

The meeting this time focuses on climate change, the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, and the war in Ukraine. The UN General Assembly delivers recommendations on many international issues and manages internal UN appointments and budget approval. Each UN member state gets one vote in the assembly. There are 193 UN member states, each with a vote in the General Assembly.

However, the Assembly’s President changes with each annual session and is elected by the body itself. The President of this year’s session is Denis Francis.