UNGA President Annalena Baerbock arrives in India for official visit

In a post on X, the MEA said, "A warm welcome to @UN_PGA Ms. Annalena Baerbock on her official visit to India. The visit reaffirms India's steadfast engagement with the UN."

https://x.com/meaindia/status/2048805274291777731?s=46

According to the official statement by the MEA issued on Saturday, the UNGA President has arrived at the invitation of the External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar.

The statement added, "During the visit, EAM and PGA will discuss key multilateral issues of mutual interest".

Baerbock will pay homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat as part of her programme, it added.

She will also have an interactive session with representatives from the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEITY) on governance and regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the statement said.

According to the media advisory issued by the UNGA President's office, Baerbock will also visit China on April 29-30 (Wednesday and Thursday), at the invitation of the Government of China.

Highlighting the broader agenda of the visit, the advisory noted, "As India and China are two key supporters of the United Nations and multilateralism, the President of the General Assembly will discuss current global issues and challenges for the international order and stress the importance of upholding the UN Charter, strengthening the United Nations, and intensifying multilateral cooperation on all three pillars of the United Nations."

In Beijing, she is expected to hold bilateral meetings with Vice President Han Zheng and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, alongwith interactions with the UN Country Team in China.

Earlier, Spokesperson for the 80th President of the United Nations General Assembly, La Neice Collins, announced that the UNGA President Annalena Baerbock will be visiting New Delhi next week. According to the spokesperson, in India, the UNGA President will hold multiple bilateral meetings with various government officials as well as meet with the UN country team in India.

Addressing a noon briefing on Thursday (local time), Collins said, "The PGA will undertake official duty travel to New Delhi. And then next week, Wednesday and Thursday, she will also be on official duty, travelling to Beijing."

She added that further details would be shared soon, noting, "We will send out a media advisory with more information on that, but she is travelling at the invitation of the governments of India and China."

Highlighting the agenda in India, Collins stated, "And while in India, she will hold multiple bilateral meetings with various government officials as well as meet with the UN country team in India, led by UN resident coordinator, Stephan Prisner."

Speaking about the China visit, she said, "And then in China, she will also hold bilateral meetings with various government officials, and she will also meet with the UN country team in China, which is led by the UN resident coordinator there, Stephen Jackson." (ANI)