Jaishankar and Guterres discuss conflicts and effects on Global South

India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres at UN headquarters in New York on Tuesday, with their discussions including ongoing conflicts and their effects on countries in the Global South. Jaishankar said in a post on X that the meeting focused on conflicts and the need to reduce their impact, particularly on developing countries.

A readout from the Secretary-General’s office said the two officials also discussed multilateralism, India-UN cooperation and geopolitical developments. The readout specifically mentioned the war in Ukraine and the situation in West Asia. It added that Guterres expressed appreciation for India’s cooperation with the United Nations.

The meeting took place as Jaishankar concluded his engagements during the high-level week of the UN General Assembly. He had delivered India’s national statement during the General Debate on Saturday, where he praised Guterres’s service to the organisation and referred to his contributions to multilateralism and India’s Mission LiFE initiative. Guterres’s second five-year term as UN Secretary-General ends in December 2026.

The current General Assembly week was described in the source material as his final high-level UNGA week. He also visited India earlier this month for the BRICS Leaders’ Summit. Jaishankar said during a conversation at Asia Society that he held meetings with about 85 to 90 counterparts during what he called a very busy week.

His meeting with Guterres therefore formed part of wider diplomatic engagements around the UN gathering. The source material does not give details of specific proposals or agreements reached during the meeting. It records their shared discussion of international conflicts, cooperation between India and the UN, multilateralism and the particular pressures such crises place on Global South countries.