Jaishankar meets UN chief Guterres, discusses Ukraine situation

United Nations, April 15

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has held a “wide-ranging discussion” with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and exchanged views on the global impact of the Ukraine conflict as well as the situation in Afghanistan and Myanmar.

Jaishankar arrived here on Wednesday evening following his visit to Washington.

“A wide ranging discussion with UNSG @antonioguterres. Exchanged views on the global impact of the Ukraine conflict, especially on food and energy security. Implications for developing countries are serious,” Jaishankar tweeted on Thursday.

“Spoke about latest developments in respect of Afghanistan and Myanmar. Appreciate his interest in working with India to effectively address important contemporary challenges,” he said.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan on August 15, two weeks before the US’ complete troop withdrawal on August 31 after a costly two-decade war. This forced Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who was backed by the US-led West, to flee the country to the UAE.

The Taliban insurgents stormed across Afghanistan and captured all major cities in a matter of days, as Afghan security forces trained and equipped by the US and its allies melted away.

Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh were in Washington for the 2 2 Ministerial Dialogue with their US counterparts Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defence Lloyd J Austin III.