New York [US], September 24 : External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar hosted the second edition of the L69 and C10 Joint Ministerial in New York on Wednesday, highlighting the collective resolve of the Global South to push for reforms at the United Nations Security Council.
"Pleased to host the second edition of L69 & C10 Joint Ministerial in New York today. We gather with a unity of purpose - to push for comprehensive reforms of the UN Security Council as fellow members of the Global South," Jaishankar posted on X.
https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1970875360041488642
On the sidelines of the meeting, Jaishankar also held interactions with key counterparts. Sharing details, he wrote, "Good to see FM Mauro Vieira of Brazil ahead of the L-69 & C-10 Joint Ministerial meeting."
https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1970871716189757796
He further added, "Pleased to see FM Frederick Stephenson of SVG on sidelines of the L-69 & C-10 Joint Ministerial."
https://x.com/DrSJaishankar/status/1970876980296810999
Continuing his diplomatic outreach, Jaishankar on Wednesday had pull-asides with several global leaders, who affirmed cooperation with India, and in a series of posts the External Affairs Minister shared updates on these productive engagements with key foreign ministers on the sidelines of the UNGA.
Jaishankar held talks with Netherlands Foreign Minister David van Weel. In a post on X, he said, "Appreciated the meeting with FM David van Weel of the Netherlands this evening in New York. An insightful conversation on European strategic positioning and India's approach."
He also reviewed bilateral cooperation with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Vijitha Herath. "Pleasure meeting FM Vijitha Herath of Sri Lanka. Reviewed the progress of our bilateral cooperation," he posted.
Further, Jaishankar discussed the Ukraine crisis and India-EU cooperation with Denmark's Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen. "Appreciated the conversation with FM Lars Løkke Rasmussen of Denmark this evening in New York. Valued his insights on latest developments in Europe and the Ukraine conflict. Also discussed our bilateral ties and India-EU cooperation under the Danish Presidency," he said.
He also held talks with Lesotho Foreign Minister Lejone Mpotjoana. "Pleased to meet FM Lejone Mpotjoana of Lesotho today on the sidelines of the High Level Meeting," he shared.
Jaishankar further engaged with Suriname Foreign Minister Melvin Bouva. "Pleasure to get to know FM Melvin Bouva of Suriname today. Appreciate his warm words for our ties," he wrote.
In addition to bilateral meetings, Jaishankar addressed the High-Level Meeting of Like-Minded Global South Countries. He said the Global South is facing challenges of rights and expectations that had been carefully developed over decades but are now under strain.
Jaishankar noted that these challenges stem from the aftershocks of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Gaza and Ukraine conflicts, and a range of other global disruptions.
"We meet in increasingly uncertain times when the state of the world is a cause for mounting concern for member states. The global south in particular is confronted with a set of challenges which have heightened in the first half of this decade. They include the shocks of the COVID pandemic, two major conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza, extreme climate events, volatility in trade, uncertainty in investment flows and interest rates, and the catastrophic slowing down of the SGD agenda," he said.