Jaishankar meets UNGA chief Dennis Francis on sidelines of 78th session

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met the President of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly Dennis Francis and expressed confidence that the outcomes of India’s G20 Presidency would contribute to the UN General Assembly’s discourse and deliberations.

Jaishankar met Francis at the UN headquarters and thanked him for his presence at the special India-UN for Global South: Delivering for Development side event he hosted on Saturday last on the margins of the 78th session of the UN General Assembly.

“Began the morning by meeting @UN_PGA Dennis Francis at UN Headquarters. Welcomed his appreciation of the outcomes of India’s G20 Presidency. Confident that it would contribute to the UN 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,” Jaishankar said in a post on X.

Began the morning by meeting @UN_PGA Dennis Francis at UN Headquarters.

Welcomed his appreciation of the outcomes of India’s G20 Presidency. Confident that it would contribute to the UN General Assembly’s discourse and deliberations.

Agreed on the importance of reforming… pic.twitter.com/FwDn9FJe4m

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) September 25, 2023

He also held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Minister of Madagascar Yvette Sylla and discussed development partnership and cooperation in different areas.

“A warm meeting with our SAGAR partner, FM of Madagascar, Yvette Sylla today. Discussed development partnership, millets and rice production, digital delivery and defense cooperation,” the minister said in another post on X.

He is scheduled to meet UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres later on Monday.

He began his nine-day visit to the US on Friday last week, primarily to attend the annual session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in New York and to host a special event on Global South.

On Sunday, Jaishankar held a series of separate bilateral meetings with his global counterparts, including from Mexico, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Armenia, on the sidelines of the high-level UN General Assembly session here, exchanging views on reforming multilateralism and cooperation in G20.