NEW YORK – Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not go to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting in New York this month. This is a big change in India’s diplomatic stance. The decision, which is different from an earlier provisional speakers’ list that contained his name, comes at a time when India and the US are having trouble getting along. S. Jaishankar, the Minister of External Affairs, will be India’s representative at the annual session.
The 80th session of the UN General Assembly will have a high-level General Debate from September 23 to 29. A roster of speakers had originally included both Modi and U.S. President Donald Trump, but India’s spot on September 27 will now be taken by its top diplomat. As is customary, the U.S. will speak to the Assembly on the first day, just after Brazil.
Most people think that the Prime Minister’s choice to forgo the event is a sign of the present trade problems between New Delhi and Washington. Modi and Trump said in February that they will work out a new Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by the fall of 2025. Things have gotten worse between the two countries after the Trump administration put a new 25% duty on Indian imports, making the total tariff on some commodities 50%. The U.S. said it was a punishment for India’s continuous purchase of Russian oil, which the U.S. feels weakens sanctions against Russia because of its war with Ukraine.
India has said in public that the U.S. action is “unjustified” and “unreasonable.” It has also promised to “take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security.” The government may have also opted to keep Modi and Trump from meeting at a high-stakes period when their views are very different.
The UNGA is thought to be the “busiest diplomatic season” of the year and a great chance for world leaders to meet. However, the Indian government has reportedly decided that PM Modi’s domestic priorities, such as the ambitious reform push he talked about in his Independence Day speech, and the ongoing diplomatic spat with the U.S. make it impossible for him to go to New York right now.
This year’s session is especially important because it will take place while the hostilities between Israel and Hamas and between Ukraine and Russia are still going on.