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India to focus on number of critical issues at United Nations session

India's focus will be peacekeeping, terrorism and climate change

New York: India will focus on critical issues of Security Council reform, peacekeeping, terrorism, climate change and development agenda at a landmark session of the UN General Assembly here next week, a top Indian official said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrives here on September 23, will address the high-level Sustainable Development Summit hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon on September 25, when the new and ambitious post-2015 development agenda will be adopted.

Slated to be one of the largest ever gatherings at the UN, the Sustainable Development Summit will be attended by more than 150 heads of state and world leaders. Pope Francis will also address the UN General Assembly on September 25.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Asoke Mukerji told reporters on Thursday that Modi will address the summit on the morning of September 25.

“The Prime Minister has given a lot of attention to the substance of the development agenda. The focus of his speech will be Agenda 2030," Mukerji said.

Outlining the priorities of India during the 70th session of the General Assembly, Mukerji said India's focus will be peacekeeping, Security Council reform, terrorism and climate change.

Modi will then head to the West Coast to visit San Francisco on September 26-27 and will return to New York on September 28, when he is expected to have a bilateral meeting with US President Barack Obama, who will be in the city to address the General Debate on its opening day.

On UNSC reform, Mukerji said, "We are very upbeat after the General Assembly endorsed beginning of negotiations on reform of the powerful UN body on the basis of a text."

"We are looking forward to beginning the negotiations when the General Assembly convenes on this agenda item in early November," he said. India's focus will also be to conduct "active outreach" in taking matters forward on the reform process, he added.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will deliver India's statement in the General Debate in the morning session on October 1. Modi will also speak at the Second Peacekeeping Summit on September 28 at the world body's headquarters, that will also be addressed by the UN Secretary-General and Obama.

India will call for continued engagement of the international community through support in security, political and economic areas to the Afghan government to ensure the country does not re-lapse into conflict, according to the approach paper.

"The international community must continue to focus on and address the support for terrorists and armed groups that fuels conflict in Afghanistan," the paper said.

India also supports UN efforts to assist the national authorities in the Middle East region, including Syria, Yemen and Libya to promote internal dialogue and reforms with a view to resolving the crises and ensuring stability and prosperity.

India will also continue to support initiatives at the UN for an early realisation of a sovereign, independent and united state of Palestine side by side and at peace with Israel, it said.

( Source : PTI )
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