External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to exchange views on working together during India’s G20 Presidency. In a Twitter post, the minister said that he valued the UN chief’s insights on UNSC reform and the Ukraine conflict.
“A warm meeting with UN Secretary-General @antonioguterres. Valued his insights on UNSC reform and the Ukraine conflict. Exchanged views on working together during India’s G20 Presidency,” Jaishankar tweeted.
“Honored to join UNSG@antonioguterres and @UN_PGA Csaba Kőrösi in unveiling the bust of Mahatma Gandhi at the @UN Headquarters. May his presence in these hallowed premises inspire the UN to live up to its founding ideals,” he added.
Jaishankar landed in the US on Tuesday for a two-day visit to preside over two high-level ministerial signature events of India’s ongoing Presidency of the UN Security Council on December 14 and 15.
On Wednesday, he chaired the high-level ministerial open debate on the theme of “New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism”.
“Chaired the open debate in the Security Council on New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism. Underlined the three challenges inherent in the IGN process: It is the only one in the United Nations that is conducted without any time frame,” the minister said in a tweet.
“It is also singular in being negotiated without any text. There is no record keeping that allows progress to be recognized and carried forward,” he said.
He also met Armenia’s foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan, UAE Minister of Culture and Youth Noura AlKaabi, and Poland’s Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs Wojciech Gerwel on the sidelines of an open debate in the Security Council.
The minister also unveiled Mahatma Gandhi’s bust at the premises of the UN Headquarters. The bust, a gift from India to the United Nations, is the first Gandhi sculpture that was installed at the UN Headquarters, as per ANI reports.
On December 15, the high-level briefing will take place on “Global Approach to Counter Terrorism – Challenges and Way Forward”. Both these themes have been key priorities for India during its current tenure at the UN Security Council.