Amidst a world mired in turmoil and strife, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj arrived in New York Monday ahead of the UN General Assembly session which begins Tuesday. Like last year, PM Narendra Modi has cited his inability to attend the annual gathering of world leaders. Swaraj’s visit comes amidst the unending strife in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, the dramatic rise in terrorism across the world, North Korea’s recent missile and nuclear tests and the Rohingya crisis in Myanmar which has had as fallout in both India and Bangladesh. Then there’s the divisive issue of climate change and the refugee crisis worldwide as people flee war-torn areas.
Swaraj will address the assembly Saturday, but has an incredibly hectic schedule over the week, hosting about 20 bilateral and trilateral meetings with various world leaders, beginning with her US and Japanese counterparts, Rex Tillerson, and Taro Kono. This is significant given the cooperation between the three nations is being watched suspiciously by an increasingly assertive China. This will be followed by a meet on UN reforms, chaired by US President Donald Trump, who will be making his first address to the assembly Tuesday.
While she will bump into the Pakistani delegation led by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, the Indian side has ruled out any bilateral meetings. This is Abbasi’s first visit to New York since he assumed office in July after the Pakistan Supreme Court removed his predecessor Nawaz Sharif over corruption charges. Indian sources said attempts by Abbasi to raise the Kashmir issue during his speech would be a total “waste of time”.
In her hard-hitting speech last year after Pakistan raised human rights violations in Kashmir, Sushma Swaraj replied: “I can only say that those accusing others of human rights violations would do well to introspect and see what egregious abuses they are perpetrating in their own country, including in Balochistan.” One can expect a similar fiery speech from her this year too.