United Nations Secretary General-designate Antonio Guterres appreciates India

UNITED NATIONS: UN Secretary General- designate Antonio Guterres has voiced appreciation for India's engagement with the world body and its contributions to various areas of the UN's work during a meeting with Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar here.

Jaishankar called on Guterres soon after his swearing-in as the 9th Secretary General of the United Nations.

"The Secretary General designate appreciated India's engagement with the UN and contributions to various areas of the UN's work," a spokesperson of India's Permanent Mission to the UN told PTI yesterday.

Jaishankar congratulated Guterres on his swearing-in and assured him of India's support and assistance in areas that the SG-designate focuses as his priorities including on matters of sustainable development and peace and security, the spokesperson said.

Jaishankar also met Under Secretary-General Jeffrey Feltman and other officials of the UN's Department of Political Affairs and exchanged views on a wide array of issues of common interest.

Guterres was sworn-in as the next UN Secretary General on Monday and will assume his new role on January 1 next year, a day after Ban Ki-moon's 10-year tenure as the world's top diplomat ends this month.

India's Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin tweeted a photo of Jaishankar meeting Guterres and other UN officials, saying "diplomacy entails reaching out upfront & backroom talks too".