UNGA President Baerbock begins two-day official India visit at Rajghat

UNGA President Annalena Baerbock began her two-day visit to India, paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat. Her agenda includes talks with EAM S. Jaishankar on multilateral issues and a session on AI governance with MEITY officials.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) President Annalena Baerbock paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at Rajghat in the national capital on Tuesday, marking the commencement of her official two-day visit to India.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated in a post on X, "Honouring the timeless ideals of Bapu. UNGA President Ms Annalena Baerbock commenced her visit to India by paying homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Rajghat today."

Key Engagements on the Agenda

The UNGA President arrived in New Delhi on Monday following an invitation from External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Welcoming the dignitary, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal noted that the visit "reaffirms India's steadfast engagement with the UN." Baerbock is scheduled to hold high-level deliberations with Jaishankar later today to discuss "key multilateral issues of mutual interest."

According to the MEA, her itinerary includes an interactive session with representatives from the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MEITY) focused on the "governance and regulation of Artificial Intelligence (AI)." The UNGA President is also slated to meet the UN team in India, headed by Resident Coordinator Stefan Priesner. This visit represents the second major UN engagement in India this year, following Secretary-General Antonio Guterres' attendance at the "AI Impact Summit" in February.

Baerbock's Previous Engagement with India

While this is Baerbock's first visit in her capacity as the President of the General Assembly, she has previously engaged with India as Germany's foreign minister. During her 2022 visit, she remarked, "Without a doubt, India will play a key role in shaping the international order of the 21st century - in the Indo-Pacific and beyond".

Reflecting on India's developmental strides, she had further noted that the fact that India has lifted 400 million people out of extreme poverty in 15 years "shows that a pluralistic society, freedom and democracy are drivers of economic development, peace and stability". The UNGA President is expected to depart for China upon the conclusion of her engagements in India.

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