Jaishankar To Embark On 11-Day US Visit From Today, Set To Meet Blinken & Address UN General Assembly

S Jaishankar will arrive in the United States today for an 11-day visit, in addition to attending the UN General Assembly and meetings of the Quad, BRICS, and other significant organisations.

Jaishankar To Visit US From Sept 18 To 28 – EAM To Arrive Today

Source : PTI

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will arrive in the United States on Sunday for an 11-day visit to attend the UN General Assembly and participate in meetings of the Quad, BRICS, and other key groups.

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

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), Jaishankar will be in New York from September 18 to 24, and in Washington DC from September 25 to 28.

All Eyes On 77th Session Of UNGA

The External Affairs Minister (EAM) will lead the Indian delegation to New York for the "high-level week" at the 77th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The theme of the 77th United Nations General Assembly is "A Watershed Moment: Transformative Solutions to Interlocking Challenges." Jaishankar's UNGA address is scheduled for the morning of September 24.

"In keeping with India's strong commitment to reformed multilateralism," the MEA said. "The EAM will host a G4 ministerial meeting as well as participate in the L 69 Group's High-Level Meeting on "Reinvigorating Multilateralism and Achieving Comprehensive Reform of the UN Security Council," it added.

While the G4 group includes India, Brazil, Japan, and Germany, the L.69 group includes developing countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, and Small Island Developing States, with a focus on UN Security Council reform.

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To commemorate and highlight Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav, Jaishankar will address a special event on September 24 called 'India@75: Showcasing India UN Partnership in Action,' which will highlight the country's development journey and contributions to South-South Cooperation, according to the MEA.

The President of the 77th UNGA, as well as Foreign Ministers from several member countries and the UNDP Administrator, are expected to speak at the event.

BRICS, Quad, IBSA, And Other Meetings Of Significance

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 that brings together India, Brazil, and South Africa.

Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) has emerged as a key grouping. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov are expected to attend the BRICS meeting, reports PTI. 

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 mentioned.

(With Agency Inputs)