United Nations: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the high-level session of the 80th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York on September 26, according to a provisional list of speakers released by the UN.
The 80th UNGA session will open on September 9, with the General Debate scheduled from September 23 to 29. As per tradition, Brazil will speak first, followed by the United States. US President Donald Trump is slated to deliver his first UNGA address of his second term on September 23.
The provisional schedule lists India’s “Head of Government” among speakers on the morning of September 26, alongside the leaders of Israel, China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh. The list remains subject to changes in the coming weeks.
PM Modi last visited the US in February for a bilateral meeting with President Trump at the White House, where both leaders announced plans to conclude the first phase of a multi-sector Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) by fall 2025. However, trade relations have since faced strain after Trump imposed tariffs totalling 50 per cent on India, including a 25 per cent levy on Russian oil imports, effective August 27.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs has called the move “unjustified and unreasonable,” stressing that the country will take “all necessary measures” to protect its national interests and economic security. The tariff announcement comes ahead of the sixth round of BTA talks, with a US delegation scheduled to visit India from August 25.
The upcoming UNGA session will unfold against a backdrop of ongoing global crises, including the Israel-Hamas conflict and the war in Ukraine. President Trump has claimed credit for mediating peace in several disputes since the start of his second term, including between India and Pakistan.
