UNGA president to visit India; to hold meeting with EAM S Jaishankar: Official

UN General Assembly President Dennis Francis to visit India from January 22-26. Itinerary includes New Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai, and meetings with Foreign Minister Jaishankar.

President of the United Nations General Assembly Dennis Francis is undertaking an official visit to India from January 22 to 26 during which he will visit New Delhi, Jaipur and Mumbai and also meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, according to an official statement issued by his office.

During his five-day trip, Francis will hold bilateral discussions with the India leadership and engage with civil society, leading think tanks, embark on field visits and participate in events related to sustainability, multilateralism, accessibility, and digital public infrastructure, among other engagements.

The discussions are expected to focus on the his priorities, ongoing geopolitical tensions, and India’s engagement and contribution to the United Nations, reiteration of invitation to participate in the inaugural Sustainability Week (15-19 April 2024, in New York) and reflections on the Summit of the Future, which will take place in September 2024, in New York, the statement said.

Francis will lay a wreath at Raj Ghat, Mahatma Gandhi’s Memorial and attend public engagements in New Delhi, including an address at the Indian Council of World Affairs under the theme of his Presidency: Peace, Progress, Prosperity, and Sustainability. Thereafter he is scheduled to deliver remarks at an event on Digital Public Infrastructure highlighting India’s leadership in championing the interests of the Global South and sharing experiences on further efforts to close the digital divide.

Furthermore, he will visit Jaipur, where he is expected to appreciate the work of an NGO specialized at providing affordable and accessible prosthetic limbs. In Mumbai, the last leg of his official visit, Francis will participate in a Fireside Chat event with India’s think tank on New Orientation for Reformed Multilateralism.

He will also be received at the National Stock Exchange in Mumbai. He is being accompanied by his Chef de Cabinet, his Special Adviser on Gender Equality and Women’s Empowerment, a Sustainable Development Adviser, as well as a Communications Adviser.