India hosts 10th IBSA ministerial meet on sidelines of 77th UNGA

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India hosted the 10th Ministerial Commission of Foreign Ministers of the India-Brazil-South Africa Trilateral Cooperative Forum (IBSA), on the sidelines of the 77th United Nations General Assembly.

External Affairs Minister, S Jaishankar, on a 10-day official visit to the United States, met with his Brazilian counterpart Carlos Franca and South African Health Minister Dr Joe Phaahla. The trio reaffirmed the cooperation between India, Brazil and South Africa.

“Hosted the 10th India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Trilateral Ministerial Commission Meeting. Reviewed the IBSA process and recognised its activities. Appreciated its promotion of South-South cooperation, including on global and multilateral issues,” Jaishankar tweeted.

“Reiterated commitment to reformed multilateralism. Thank FM Carlos Franca of Brazil and Minister of Health of South Africa Joe Phaahla for joining,” he added.

On Wednesday, the ministers also launched a report by 4 IBSA think tanks.

The IBSA is a trilateral, developmental initiative between India, Brazil and South Africa to promote South-South cooperation and exchange.

Just before the meeting, India’s permanent representative to UN Ambassador Ruchira Kambhoj took to Twitter and said the ministerial meeting would review the IBSA process and South-South cooperation.

The idea of South-South Cooperation (SSC) is not new. Its genesis can be traced back to the decades of efforts by countries and groupings working together to ensure South-South solidarity such as the Bandung conference 1955, the Non-Aligned Movement 1961, the G77 grouping, UNCTAD, the Buenos Aires Plan of Action 1978, and the 2009 Nairobi declaration.

India, Brazil and South Africa have reaffirmed the urgent need for a comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council (UNSC) to help combat contemporary challenges to international peace and security.

Earlier in the day, Dammu Ravi, MEA Secretary (ER) hosted Sherpas and Sous Sherpas of IBSA in New York.

“Secretary ER Dammu Ravi hosted Sherpas & Sous Sherpas of India, Brazil & South Africa #IBSA Dialogue Forum in New York. Discussed cooperation under IBSA under India’s ongoing Chairship, & preparation for IBSA Trilateral Ministerial Commission Meeting on sidelines of 77th #UNGA,” tweeted MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar, on day 3 interacted with his counterparts of four countries. He met with his Estonia counterpart Urmas Reinsalu, Norway Foreign Minister Anniken Huitfeldt, Bolivia’s Foreign Minister Rogelio Mayta and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.

Jaishankar interacted with three presidents and four foreign ministers, on the second day of the 77th session of the UNGA, on Tuesday (local time) at the UN headquarters in New York.

Jaishankar is in the US for the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) meeting. He met French President Emmanuel Macron, Ghana President Nana Akufo-Addo and Comoros President Azali Assoumani in the US.

Apart from that, the External Affairs Minister also met Denis Moncada from Nicaragua, Alexander Schallenberg from Austria, Najla al-Mangoush from Libya and Mevlut Cavusoglu from Turkiye.

To discuss the ongoing cooperation between India and Ghana, Jaishankar called on the President of Ghana at UN headquarters in New York.

Jaishankar has more than 50 official engagements in total. The highlights of Jaishankar’s meetings particularly with developing countries from Asia, Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean and Small Islands are sharply focused on the reform of the UN Security Council.

Jaishankar will address world leaders at the General Assembly on Saturday, after which he will leave for Washington and a meeting with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken. (ANI)