Narendra Modi to skip UN General Assembly for big summit

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not be addressing the United Nations General Assembly during his visit to New York later this month, but will instead address the UN Sustainable Development Summit, government sources confirmed in New Delhi.

External affairs minister Sushma Swaraj will be addressing the UN General Assembly on India’s behalf, sources said.

The government’s decision has raised eyebrows, as Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif may address the UN General Assembly and make every attempt to emb-arrass India by raising the Kashmir issue.

It remains to be seen whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistan counterpart Nawaz Shariff will eventually meet in New York briefly to exchange pleasantries despite the recent cancellation of NSA-level talks in New Delhi.

Mr Modi is expected to leave for the United States on September 22. He will be in New York on September 24 and 25 and will leave for the US West Coast after that, where he will be on September 26 and 27. On September 28, Mr Modi will reach New York again after which he will immediately leave for New Delhi, sources said.

According to media reports earlier, the post-2015 development agenda will be adopted at the high-level summit on sustainable development hosted by the UN from September 25 to 27. Billed as one of the largest ever gatherings at the UN, more than 150 world leaders are expected to attend the Sustainable Development Summit.