Jaishankar, Guterres discuss West Asia conflicts and Global South concerns

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at the United Nations headquarters on Tuesday, with the two leaders discussing ongoing conflicts, including the situation in West Asia, and their impact on countries in the Global South.

The meeting took place as Jaishankar wrapped up his engagements during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly. According to the UN chief's office, the talks covered multilateralism, India-UN cooperation and wider geopolitical developments, including the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East.

"Glad to meet @UN Secretary General @antonioguterres today. Our discussions focused on ongoing conflicts and the need to mitigate their impact, especially on the Global South," Jaishankar said in a post on X.

A readout issued by the office of the Secretary-General said Guterres and Jaishankar discussed "multilateralism, India-UN cooperation, and geopolitical developments, including the war in Ukraine and the situation in the Middle East." It added that the Secretary-General expressed appreciation for India's cooperation with the UN.

During India's national statement at the General Debate on Saturday, Jaishankar had voiced appreciation for Guterres's service as head of the world body. "After a decade of service and dedication to the cause of multilateralism, we will soon bid farewell to Secretary-General Antonio Guterres. India deeply values his many contributions, in particular, his personal support for Mission LiFE," he had said.

This was Guterres's final high-level UNGA week, and his second five-year term as UN chief ends in December 2026. He had visited India earlier this month for the BRICS Leaders' Summit. Speaking at the Asia Society, Jaishankar also said he had met about 85-90 counterparts through a "really very frantic week" at the UN, summing up a packed round of diplomatic engagements.