Narendra Modi to be first Indian PM to chair UNSC meet

New Delhi: In a first for India since Independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over a meeting during New Delhi's presidency of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), India's former envoy to the UN Syed Akbaruddin said on Sunday.

According to the former permanent representative of India to the United Nations, this is the first time in over 75 years that Indian political leadership has invested in presiding over an event of the 15-member UN organisation. On August 9, Prime Minister Modi is expected to preside over a meeting of the United Nations Security Council.

Akbaruddin said, "Our Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the first Indian Prime Minister, who has decided to preside over a meeting of the United Nation Security Council." "It shows that leadership wants to lead from the front. It also shows that India and its political leadership are invested in our foreign policy ventures," he added.

This comes on the day when India assumed the rotating presidency of the United Nations Security Council. This month, the country will hold signature events pertaining to maritime security, peacekeeping, and counterterrorism.

India's top leaders, including the Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla, will chair many high-level discussions.