UN chief Guterres meets PM Modi; discusses conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi shakes hands with United Nations Secretary General (UNSG) Antonio Guterres at a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS 2026 Summit in New Delhi on Friday, September 11, 2026. Photo Credit: DPR PMO via ANI

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday (11 September 2026) held wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the current conflicts in West Asia and Ukraine, with the world body’s chief reaffirming the principle of freedom of navigation.

Mr Guterres met Mr Modi in New Delhi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS summit, which Delhi is hosting on September 12-13. The two leaders “held a wide-ranging discussion on the current conflicts in the Middle East and Ukraine and the impact that both have on the global economy, including access to food and fertilisers,” the office of the UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson said in a statement.

The Secretary General appreciated India’s close cooperation with the United Nations.

The Secretary-General said he “reaffirmed the principle of freedom of navigation”. The two leaders also exchanged views on the growing danger of deadly autonomous weapons. They also discussed the priorities of India’s BRICS chairmanship, including the need for multilateral institutions that clearly reflect the realities of the 21st century world, the statement said.

The UN chief was invited to address the summit’s open session on “Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation and Sustainability: Shaping the Future for Inclusive Global Growth” on 13 September. India, a founding member of BRICS, is the chair for 2026 and will host the 18th BRICS summit as leaders of member states and partner countries.

Mr Guterres, whose second five-year term at the head of the United Nations ends in December 2026, traveled to India in February to attend the India-AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

Published – 11 Sep 2026 23:56 IST