India’s External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, met with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Thursday, engaging in critical discussions on global issues including the Pact for the Future, climate action, and the ongoing conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine. The meeting highlighted India’s active role in shaping global policy through multilateral engagement.

In a post on X, Jaishankar said, “Always a pleasure to speak with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. Discussed the Pact for the Future, reforming multilateralism, AI, climate action, West Asia, and Ukraine.”

The UN General Assembly recently adopted the Pact for the Future, covering a broad array of themes like peace and security, sustainable development, digital cooperation, and the transformation of global governance. This pact aims to set the course for addressing pressing global challenges in the years to come.

On the sidelines of the UNGA, Jaishankar also met with several foreign ministers to strengthen bilateral ties and discuss regional cooperation. Among his meetings, he engaged with Slovenia’s Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon to discuss India’s cooperation with the Mediterranean region, and Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, focusing on the progress in bilateral relations and developments in West Asia.

He also met Morocco’s Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Stenergard, and Romania’s Luminita Odobescu, among others, to expand bilateral cooperation in areas such as sustainable development, tourism, and skilled worker mobility.

In his discussions during the BRICS Foreign Ministers Meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA, Jaishankar emphasized the significance of BRICS for promoting multi-polarity and global diversity. The focus of the meeting was on reforming multilateralism and achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), with an emphasis on addressing debt, promoting fair trade, and overcoming poverty.

(Inputs from ANI)