Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not address the United Nations General Assembly’s (UNGA) high-level General Debate later this month, according to a revised provisional list of speakers released, news agencies have reported. The 80th session of the UN General Assembly will start formally open from September 9. The General UN Debate is set to take place from September 23 to 29. Brazil, as per the tradition of the UN, will deliver the first address, followed by the US. The revised list shows External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent India instead of PM Modi.
Donald Trump to Deliver Address on September 23
US President Donald Trump is scheduled to speak on September 23, marking his first address to the UNGA in his second term in office. EAM Jaishankar is also set to deliver the Indian address on September 27.
An earlier provisional list released in July showed Prime Minister Modi to address the session on September 26. On the same day Modi was initially scheduled to speak, the heads of government of Israel, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh are expected to deliver their addresses.
US-India Relations Breakdown
In February this year, Prime Minister Modi travelled to the US for a bilateral meeting with President Trump at the White House in Washington. He was among the first leaders to meet Trump after he was elected to the White House.
The visit came amid rising trade tensions, as Trump imposed tariffs totalling 50 per cent on India, including 25 per cent specifically on Delhi’s purchases of Russian oil.
Can Changes Be Made To UNGA Speakers List?
The list of speakers for the high-level General Debate is provisional, with possible changes to scheduling and participants expected as the event approaches. The UN updates the roster regularly to reflect adjustments.
Often described as the “busiest diplomatic season” at the UN Headquarters in New York, the high-level session each September draws world leaders for multilateral engagements and negotiations.
This year’s UNGA gathering takes place amid the ongoing Israel-Hamas war and the Ukraine conflict. The theme for the 80th session is, “Better Together: 80 Years and More for Peace, Development and Human Rights.”
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Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
