UN General Assembly President begins visit to India

The President of the United Nations General Assembly today began a five-day official visit to India, with geopolitical tensions around the world expected to top the agenda during his trip.

Assembly President Dennis Francis will meet India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss a wide range of issues, including those geopolitical tensions, India's contribution to the United Nations, and upcoming key global meetings.

Earlier today, after arriving in the capital, Mr. Francis laid a wreath at the Mahatma Gandhi memorial at Rajghat.

In his tribute, he wrote: “One of history’s most transformative figures, Gandhi’s philosophy has been a great source of inspiration for the world and personally for me.”

While in New Delhi, Mr. Francis will give an address to the Indian Council of World Affairs on the subject of "Peace, Progress, Prosperity, and Sustainability" and another at Sushma Swaraj Bhawan on digital public infrastructure and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

The Assembly President will also travel to Jaipur and Mumbai. In Jaipur, he is scheduled to meet both the Governor and Chief Minister of Rajasthan, as well as tour World Heritage sites. Additionally, he will visit a centre that produces prosthetic limbs.

In Mumbai, Mr. Francis will ring the bell at the National Stock Exchange, join a ‘fireside chat’ on multilateralism, and meet the Chief Minister and Governor of Maharashtra state. He will also lay a wreath at the 26/11 Memorial.

Throughout the visit, Mr Francis will also actively engage with the UN Country Team in India, which is led by UN Resident Coordinator Shombi Sharp.

Mr. Francis, who comes from Trinidad and Tobago, was elected last year to serve as President of the UN General Assembly’s 78th session, which runs until this September.