Jaishankar tells UN General Assembly that countries far from conflicts are paying the price

26 September 2026

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar addressed the general debate of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on 26 September 2026. He said countries distant from conflicts were paying a heavy price despite bearing no responsibility for them. He called for a two-State solution in West Asia and, on Ukraine, said the focus must shift from "an endless war" to "ending the war". He described State-sponsored, cross-border terrorism as "a direct affront to the global order" and said there could be no weakening of zero tolerance towards terrorism. He said India had supported 600 development projects in 78 countries. He closed with the words on Mahatma Gandhi's statue at the UN: "There is no path to peace. Peace is the path."