India on Monday (September 21, 2026) joined the Partnership for Multilateralism, endorsing the “non-superpower” grouping originally launched by the European Union (EU), Brazil, Canada and Kenya, and became an additional co-sponsor of the initiative along with Australia and Barbados.

The meeting of the grouping, called P4M, which is expected to build support for the United Nations and multilateralism, was one of several bilateral and multilateral meetings External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar took part in as he and the Indian delegation navigate a tough task list this week at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). 

On top of Mr. Jaishankar’s agenda, this year is to garner support for India at next year’s election for the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) non-permanent membership for the 2028-2029 period. 

Back-to-back engagements

Within a few hours of landing in New York on Monday, Mr. Jaishankar met with Foreign Ministers from France, Ecuador, Slovakia, Hungary, Ukraine, Moldova, and Switzerland. He also met the President of Naoero (Nauru), participated in the P4M meeting, had another meeting with EU ministers, and attended an India-Visegrad group meeting with the Central European nations of Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czechia. On Tuesday, he began meetings with the 33-member Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC).

The meetings with European leaders, as well as expected meetings this week with his counterparts from the United States and Canada, are also expected to prepare for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visits to Brussels, Miami and Ottawa in December.

Officials say the rest of the External Affairs Minister’s schedule this week — he is expected to remain in New York until he addresses the General Assembly on Saturday (September 19) — will be equally packed for multiple reasons.

UNSC push

India has thus far been elected to the UNSC eight times, and on most occasions, has been the single name put forward for the Asia-Pacific group. However, this time, Tajikistan has also launched its candidature for the seat, and unless New Delhi can ensure a compromise, convincing the Tajik government to step aside in exchange for support for a future election, this will turn into a contest for the Asian seat.

As a result, all eyes will be on any meeting between Mr. Jaishankar and the Tajikistan Foreign Minister, Sirojiddin Muhriddin. In addition, Mr. Jaishankar’s meetings with Ministers from other Central Asian countries, as well as from other parts of the Global South, will also be watched for any announcements of support for India’s candidature.

On the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Bishkek earlier this month (September 1), Prime Minister Modi held a meeting with Tajikistan President Emomali Rahmon. However, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) officials said they could not confirm whether Mr. Modi had received any assurance from Mr. Rahmon regarding the UNSC seat, given that the meeting was held during the SCO Council of Heads of State Summit, with access restricted for officials.

Other important engagements

Mr. Jaishankar’s visit comes days after the U.S. Congress passed the Lindsey Graham Sanctions on Russia and Iran Act, which seeks to penalise countries importing oil from these countries. India, which last month imported more than 51% of its oil from Russia, is one of the main targets of the Act, and U.S. President Donald Trump has been mandated by the law to impose up to 100% tariffs on it. As a result, Mr. Jaishankar’s meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio this week will be particularly significant, even as both men prepare for possible Modi-Trump bilaterals at the ASEAN Summit in the Philippines in November and the G20 Summit in the U.S. in December.

Another closely watched engagement will be with Bangladesh Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who begins his tenure as the president of the General Assembly in this session. Apart from the UNGA agenda for next year and plans to intensify the UN reforms process that India has been pushing, Mr. Jaishankar and Mr. Rahman are expected to discuss bilateral ties. Tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi have been raised after a proposed visit by Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has failed to materialise so far.

While Mr. Jaishankar is expected to meet his counterparts from other South Asian countries, a meeting of the SAARC Foreign Ministers that had been held on the sidelines of the UNGA every year until 2019, has been scrapped over India-Pakistan tensions since then.

From Wednesday (September 23, 2026), much of the attention of those at the UNGA this week will be taken by Chinese President Xi Jinping’s visit to the U.S. from September 23-25, and the outcomes of the US-China Summit to be held in Washington. 

A meeting of Quad Foreign Ministers of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia has also become a regular feature on the sidelines of the UNGA each year.

Published – September 22, 2026 09:23 pm IST

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar meets António Guterres, U.N. Secretary General on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session, in New York on September 26, 2023
| Photo Credit: ANI

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with the top U.N. leadership here and discussed India’s G20 Presidency, regional issues and global challenges, sustainable development goals and Security Council reforms.

A day before he addresses the General Debate at the ongoing high-level United Nations General Assembly session, Mr. Jaishankar met with U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of the 78th session of the General Assembly Dennis Francis on Monday at the headquarters of the world organisation.

He also met with the United Nations Development Programme Administrator Achim Steiner.

Mr. Jaishankar said it was a “pleasure” to meet with Mr. Guterres and that he discussed “how India’s G20 Presidency has contributed to strengthening” the U.N.’s sustainable development agenda.

“We have coordinated closely in this regard over the last year,” Mr. Jaishankar wrote on X, adding that he appreciated Mr. Guterres’ strong commitment to reforming international financial institutions.

In a readout of the meeting issued by the U.N. spokesperson’s office, Mr. Guterres “expressed appreciation for India’s cooperation with the U.N. and its leadership of the G20”.

Mr. Guterres and Mr. Jaishankar also “discussed the situations in Afghanistan, Myanmar, and other global challenges”, according to the readout.

The U.N. secretary-general attended the G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi on September 9 and 10 held under India’s Presidency of the grouping.

Before his meeting with Mr. Guterres, Mr. Jaishankar met Mr. Francis and welcomed his appreciation of the outcomes of India’s G20 Presidency.

“Confident that it would contribute to the U.N. General Assembly’s discourse and deliberations. Agreed on the importance of reforming multilateralism and giving the Global South its due on crucial issues of our times,” Mr. Jaishankar said.

In a post on ‘X’, Mr. Francis said he was “delighted” to meet Mr. Jaishankar and congratulated him on India’s “successful G20 Chairmanship, especially on India’s unwavering advocacy in support of the Global South”.

Mr. Francis added that he discussed priorities and key issues of the 78th UNGA session, including UNSC reforms and building on the outcomes of the Sustainable Development Goals Summit held during the high-level week ahead of the Summit of the Future to be held in 2024.

Mr. Jaishankar also thanked Mr. Francis for his presence at the special ‘India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development’ side event. The minister hosted the event in New York on Saturday.

In his meeting with Mr. Steiner, Mr. Jaishankar appreciated the UNDP’s engagement with India’s G20 Presidency initiatives. “Can work together to scale up Indian success stories for global benefit,” he said.

Mr. Jaishankar also met with the Foreign Minister of the UAE Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan in New York.

“Always a pleasure to meet FM @ABZayed of UAE, this time in New York. Appreciate the rapid progress in our bilateral cooperation. Value our regular exchange of perspectives on regional and global issues,” he posted on ‘X’ later.

The external affairs minister said he had a “warm meeting with our SAGAR partner”, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Madagascar Yvette Sylla.

“Discussed development partnership, millets and rice production, digital delivery and defence cooperation,” he tweeted.