PM Modi to Address UN General Assembly in September
Prime Minister Modi's Upcoming UN Address
File image of PM Modi(Photo: @ians_india/X)
United Nations, Aug 20: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to speak to global leaders during the high-level meeting of the General Assembly scheduled for September, as per an initial timetable.
His speech is planned for the afternoon session on September 25, which will take place from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. in New York, translating to 12:30 a.m. to 6:30 a.m. the following day in India.
The timing may be adjusted to better suit Indian audiences once the final schedule is confirmed.
Since his election in 2014, PM Modi has participated in six high-level UN sessions.
The 81st session of the General Assembly will be led by Bangladesh's Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman, who was elected as president in June.
The theme for this session is 'Restoring trust, managing transformation: A United Nations that delivers for all.'
While formal addresses will be made at the General Assembly, significant discussions will occur on the sidelines, where leaders will engage in numerous formal and informal meetings away from public scrutiny.
The high-level week will commence on September 22, with Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva traditionally being the first to speak, followed by US President Donald Trump.
According to UN protocol, heads of state, including presidents and monarchs, will speak first, followed by heads of government and then other officials.
Notably, two prominent leaders, Presidents Xi Jinping of China and Vladimir Putin of Russia, are not expected to attend the meeting as per the current schedule.
Reports indicate that Xi will forgo the UN meeting to attend a summit with Trump in Washington that week.
With the ongoing situation in the Strait of Hormuz drawing attention, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian is set to address the assembly on September 23.
Additionally, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russia's Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will also be present to discuss the ongoing conflict.
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Tarique Rahman is scheduled to speak on September 24, while Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is expected to address the assembly on the afternoon of September 25, coinciding with PM Modi's address.
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is also slated for September 24, but he need not worry about any arrest threats made by New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who later acknowledged he lacked the authority to carry out such actions.
During the same campaign meeting where Mamdani made the threat against Netanyahu, he also stated he would not meet with PM Modi.