Amid tariff tensions, PM Modi to skip UN session this month in US

External affairs minister S Jaishankar will represent India in place of Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the session.

Updated on: Sep 6, 2025, 10:16:52 IST

By Shivam Pratap Singh

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the UN General Assembly session scheduled for later this month in New York.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is skipping the UN session in New York. (DPR PMO )

This comes amid tariff tensions between India and the United States after President Donald Trump imposed ‘punitive’ levies on New Delhi for purchasing oil from Russia amid the Ukraine war.

A list of speakers issued by the United Nations had both PM Modi and Donald Trump lined up to address the annual session. The high-level General Debate at the 80th session of the UN General Assembly is set to take place from September 23 to 29, with Brazil traditionally opening the session, followed by the United States.

According to the speakers' list, India is scheduled to address the Assembly on the morning of September 27. External affairs minister S Jaishankar will represent India in place of the Prime Minister at the session.

Considered the “busiest diplomatic season” of the year at the United Nations Headquarters, the high-level session opens in September annually. This year, the session will be set against the Israel-Hamas conflict as well as the Ukraine-Russia conflict, making it significant.

India-US tariff tensions

In February this year, PM Narendra Modi travelled to the US for a bilateral meeting with Donald Trump in the White House. A joint statement was issued after the meeting in which Modi and Trump announced plans to negotiate the first part of a Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) that would prove mutually beneficial by the fall of 2025.

However, Trump imposed a 25 percent additional Tariff on India for the purchase of Russian oil last month, making the overall imposed tariff 50 percent. India’s ministry of external affairs called the move by the Republican leader unjustified and unreasonable.

“Like any major economy, India will take all necessary measures to safeguard its national interests and economic security,” it said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Shivam Pratap Singh
Shivam Pratap Singh is a digital journalist who works as a Deputy Chief Content Producer with Hindustan Times. Having previously worked with various platforms covering national, international as well as sports events, he blends in various topics to easy to read news pieces for the benefit of the reader. Shivam holds a Master's degree in International Relations from Jamia Millia Islamia, bringing in a unique perspective for whatever is happening around the world. An avid reader, he can be seen immersed in books and book shops while not working. Shivam treats every topic almost equally but loves to right about foreign affairs and politics of India. He has over half-a-decade of experience in digital journalism though his career started in print.Read More

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