New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be a part of the 'first in-person' Quad leaders' summit in Washington on September 24, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Tuesday.
"Prime Minister Narendra Modi would be participating, along with Prime Minister Scott Morrison of Australia, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga of Japan and President Joseph R Biden of USA, in the Leaders' Summit of the Quadrilateral Framework in Washington DC, USA, on September 24," the MEA said in a statement.
Discussions to be held
It said the leaders will review progress made since their first virtual summit on March 12 and discuss regional issues of shared interest.
As per the MEA, the leaders will review the Quad Vaccine initiative which was announced in March this year as part of their ongoing efforts to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.
It said the leaders will also exchange views on contemporary global issues such as critical and emerging technologies, connectivity and infrastructure, cyber security, maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster relief, climate change and education.
The summit would provide a valuable opportunity for dialogue and interactions among the Leaders, anchored in their shared vision of ensuring a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, said MEA statement.
The United Nations General Assembly General Debate
The Prime Minister is scheduled to address the General Debate of the High-Level Segment of the 76th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on 25 September 2021 in New York.
The theme for this year’s General Debate is ‘Building Resilience through hope to recover from COVID-19, rebuild sustainably, respond to the needs of the planet, respect the rights of people, and revitalise the United Nations’.
As per the second provisional list of speakers for the General Assembly, about 109 heads of state and government will address the General Debate in person and nearly 60 will deliver speeches through pre-recorded video statements.
Biden will travel to New York to deliver his first address to the 193-member General Assembly as American President. The US is traditionally the second speaker after Brazil at the General Debate, which this year will run from September 21 to 27.
Afghanistan's diplomat is listed as the last speaker on the last day of the General Debate. Currently the Afghan envoy at the UN is Ambassador Ghulam Isaczai, who was appointed by former President Ashraf Ghani as Kabul's envoy to the UN in June 2021. The interim Taliban government in power has not yet made any submission challenging Isaczai's credentials.
The diplomats of Myanmar and Guinea are also listed to speak on behalf of their countries on the last day of the debate. However, following the coup in Myanmar, its military rulers have said the country's Ambassador at UN Kyaw Moe Tun has been dismissed and they want Aung Thurein to replace him.
Modi had last addressed the UN General Assembly session in 2019. Last year, world leaders had submitted pre-recorded video statements for the United Nations General Assembly session in September, as heads of state and government could not physically attend the annual gathering due to the coronavirus pandemic.
