You have not yet added any article to your bookmarks!
Join 10k+ people to get notified about new posts, news and tips.
Do not worry we don't spam!
Post by : Rohit Dhiman
India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 26, 2026, placing terrorism, international security and India’s position on self-defence among the key issues in his speech. Jaishankar’s remarks came a day after Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif addressed the General Assembly and raised the Kashmir issue as well as the four-day military confrontation between India and Pakistan in May 2025. Without naming Pakistan or Sharif directly in the relevant portion of his speech, Jaishankar referred to the previous day’s speaker as a “serial practitioner of terrorism” and rejected what he described as attempts to normalise terrorism or claim immunity from its consequences.
One of the strongest messages from Jaishankar’s address concerned India’s stated right to respond to terrorism. He said that India’s right to defend itself against terrorism would be exercised. He also argued that terrorism cannot be treated as an issue that should be separated from accountability or its consequences. According to Jaishankar, efforts to normalise terrorism or seek immunity from its consequences would not be accepted. He further said that governments involved in such practices should be held accountable.
A day earlier, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif had used his UNGA address to discuss the Kashmir issue and the 2025 India-Pakistan military confrontation. Sharif described the Kashmir issue as requiring a “just and fair solution” and referred to the events of May 2025. He also credited US President Donald Trump with what he described as timely intervention during that confrontation. India subsequently responded through its right of reply, with Indian diplomat Petal Gahlot presenting New Delhi’s position before Jaishankar delivered his own address. Jaishankar’s speech therefore formed part of a broader sequence of diplomatic exchanges at the General Assembly involving India and Pakistan.
Jaishankar described terrorism as a persistent threat to peace and said the problem becomes particularly serious when it has a state-sponsored or cross-border dimension. He called for governments involved in such activities to be held accountable and said there should be no weakening of the international approach towards terrorism. Another issue he highlighted was terrorist financing. Jaishankar said financial aspects of terrorism should be exposed and countered, underlining the importance of addressing not only attacks but also the networks that can support them. This part of the speech connected India’s bilateral concerns with a wider international debate over terrorism, financing and global security.
Jaishankar also linked terrorism with the future of diplomatic relations. He said friendship and goodwill cannot coexist with terrorism and that understandings based on such circumstances would naturally be called into question. He concluded the point by saying that it is for the perpetrator of terrorism to change its conduct. The statement was framed as a diplomatic message about accountability and the conditions required for stable relations. Rather than discussing terrorism only as a security issue, Jaishankar connected it with the broader question of trust between countries.
Terrorism was only one part of Jaishankar’s wider UNGA address. The External Affairs Minister also spoke about conflicts around the world and their impact on countries that are not directly involved in those conflicts. He warned that the effects of wars can spread through international trade, energy markets and transport networks. Jaishankar also raised concerns over attacks on commercial shipping and seafarers. He said the targeting of commercial vessels and crew members was unacceptable and called for restraint, de-escalation, protection of civilians and uninterrupted movement of energy and commerce. The remarks came as conflicts in different regions were affecting shipping routes and creating wider economic and security concerns.
India has significant interests in international shipping because Indian seafarers work on commercial vessels operating across major global routes. Jaishankar highlighted the impact of conflicts on shipping and maritime workers, noting that countries far away from conflict zones can also face consequences. The issue was particularly relevant amid continuing instability around the Gulf and other important maritime routes. By raising the safety of ships and seafarers alongside terrorism and global security, India presented the challenges as interconnected parts of a wider international security environment.
Jaishankar also used his address to highlight India’s engagement with developing countries and its humanitarian assistance. He referred to India’s response to crises and natural disasters, including assistance following the Nepal flash floods and the Venezuela earthquake. He also spoke about medical supplies, development projects and capacity-building initiatives in countries across the Global South. According to reporting on the speech, India has undertaken hundreds of major development projects across dozens of countries and has provided assistance in areas including food, medicine, energy, fertilisers and livelihoods. This part of the address placed India’s terrorism-related message within a broader foreign-policy presentation focused on development, humanitarian support and international cooperation.
The exchange between the two countries demonstrates how India-Pakistan differences continue to appear at major international forums. India has focused strongly on terrorism and national security, while Pakistan has continued to raise Kashmir as a central issue in its international diplomatic messaging. The two sides therefore presented different accounts of the region’s security challenges during the UNGA proceedings. Jaishankar’s latest comments made clear that terrorism remains a major element of India’s diplomatic messaging, particularly when discussing its relations with Pakistan.
The statement was delivered at a time when the UN General Assembly was addressing multiple international conflicts and security challenges. For India, the central message was that terrorism should not be normalised and that the country considers the right to defend itself against terrorism an important part of its national-security position. For the wider international audience, the speech connected terrorism with accountability, terrorist financing, cross-border security and the broader consequences of conflict. The remarks also showed how diplomatic exchanges between India and Pakistan can quickly become part of wider discussions at the United Nations.
0
Thailand Floods Leave Eight Dead as Heavy Rain Hits 27 Provinces
Thailand floods have killed eight people since September 16, affecting 1.7 million people across 27
OpenAI Says AI Agents Accidentally Posted 53 User Images Online
OpenAI says AI agents accidentally posted 53 ChatGPT user images online, raising new concerns over A
