New York, Sep 28 (IANS) Even as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan was openly cosying up to Pakistan against India at the UNGA, New Delhi has been quietly cementing its ties with three of Ankaras close neighbours and strong rivals - Cyprus, Armenia and Greece.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades after his UN General Assembly speech, during which the former "reiterated India's consistent support for the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of the Republic of Cyprus".

India's statement was significant as the east Mediterranean island was split in a Turkish invasion in 1974, with Ankara occupying the northern part.

Turkey established the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC), which marked the beginning of a long military standoff between the two sides.

The TRNC lacks international recognition, and has diplomatic ties with only Turkey. Erdogan has also refused to withdraw over 30,000 troops stationed in northern Cyprus.

Modi also met Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Friday.

Following the meeting, Modi tweeted: "Had the opportunity to interact with the PM of Greece,
@kmitsotakis. India-Greece relations have stood the test of time. We will work to enhance trade as well as people-to-people relations for the benefit of our citizens.

"Both leaders reviewed the state of bilateral relations and discussed steps to intensify political, economic and people to people exchanges."

Turkey and Greece have long had strained ties, and were close to military conflict over the Greek islets of Imia in 1996, before the US stepped in to avert disaster. The uninhabited islets in the Aegean Sea, known as Kardak islets, or Imia in Greece, have been the subject of much friction between the two sides.

Greece and Turkey are also in a spat over Ankara threatening to explore for hydrocarbons in areas Greece claims as its own continental shelf.

Though Greece is smaller in size to Turkey, it spends a formidable amount of its budget on defence spending - seventh in the world at $1,230 per capita - and whose fighter pilots regularly engage in mock dogfights with invading Turkish jets.

Modi also met his Armenian counterpart Nikol Pashinyan, whose country shares a border with Turkey with whom relations have been rocky.

Armenians have not been able to forgive the genocide of millions of its nationals by the Turks of the Ottoman Empire in 1915. The Turkish government has denied that a genocide ever took place.

"Had extensive deliberations with PM @NikolPashinyan. We talked about expanding India-Armenia cooperation in aspects relating to technology, pharmaceuticals and agro-based industries. PM Pashinyan also referred to the popularity of Indian movies, music and Yoga in Armenia," Modi tweeted on Thursday.

Earlier this year, the Armenian Parliament Speaker Ararat Mirzoyan described Armenia and Cyprus as "true friends" that share the common goal of containing Turkey.

The Foreign Ministers of Cyprus, Greece and Armenia also held their first-ever trilateral meeting in the Cypriot capital of Nicosia in June.

In his UNGA speech, Anastasiades said "Cyprus remains the last European divided country".

He also accused Turkey of violating the sovereign rights of Cyprus in its internationally recognised exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and continental shelf.

The Greek Prime Minister in his UNGA speech slammed Turkey's "gunboat diplomacy" saying it undermines prospects to resolve the Cyprus issue.

"Turkey's illegal drilling activities undermine efforts to restart negotiations and dangerously escalate tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean," he said.

The Armenian Prime Minister also slammed Turkey in his UNGA speech for "refusing to establish diplomatic relations with Armenia, overtly assisting Azerbaijan against Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh" and termed Turkey "a serious security threat to Armenia and the Armenian people who had experienced the deep tragedy of the Genocide and continue to face the fierce denial of truth and justice".

In view of the deep animosity the three countries share with Turkey, Modi's meetings with the leaders assumes significance, and is an apparent move to counter Ankara's moves to side with Islamabad against India.

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United Nations, Sep 28 (IANS) India has hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan's UNGA address, saying his speech bordered on crudeness and while Islamabad has "ventured to upstream terrorism and downstream hate speech, New Delhi was going ahead with mainstreaming development in Jammu and Kashmir".

Using strong words, Vidisha Maitra, First Secretary Ministry of External Affairs, exercising India's right of reply to Khan's speech, said on Friday night: "Rarely has the General Assembly witnessed such misuse, rather abuse, of an opportunity to reflect."

She said the choice of Khan's words to attack India, like "pogrom", "bloodbath", "racial superiority", "pick up the gun" and "fight to the end", reflected a "medieval mindset and not a 21st Century vision".

She said Pakistan's "virulent reaction to the removal of an outdated and temporary provision (Article 370) that was hindering development and integration of the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir stems from the fact that those who thrive on conflict never welcome the ray of peace".

"While Pakistan has ventured to upstream terrorism and downstream hate speech there, India is going ahead with mainstreaming development in Jammu and Kashmir.

"The mainstreaming of Jammu and Kashmir, as well as Ladakh, in India's thriving and vibrant democracy with a millennia-old heritage of diversity, pluralism and tolerance is well and truly underway. Irreversibly so.

"Citizens of India do not need anyone else to speak on their behalf, least of all those who have built an industry of terrorism from the ideology of hate," she added.

Maitra added that Khan's "threat of unleashing nuclear devastation qualifies as brinksmanship, not statesmanship".

"Every word spoken from the podium of this August Assembly, it is believed, carries the weight of history. Unfortunately, what we heard today from Prime Minister Imran Khan of Pakistan was a callous portrayal of the world in binary terms. Us vs Them; Rich vs Poor; North vs South; Developed Vs Developing; Muslims vs Others.

"A script that fosters divisiveness at the UN. Attempts to sharpen differences and stir up hatred, are simply put - 'hate speech'."

Sharply targeting Khan, Maitra said: "Even coming from the leader of a country that has monopolized the entire value chain of the industry of terrorism, Prime Minister Khan's justification of terrorism was brazen and incendiary.

"For someone who was once a cricketer and believed in the gentleman's game, today's speech bordered on crudeness of the variety that is reminiscent of the guns of Darra Adam Khel."

She said that since Khan has invited UN Observers to Pakistan to verify that there were "no militant organisations in Pakistan, the world will hold him to that promise".

Maitra also posed a few questions that Pakistan can respond to in respect to the proposed verification by the UN.

"Can Pakistan confirm the fact that it is home to 130 UN designated terrorists and 25 terrorist entities listed by the UN, as of today?

"Will Pakistan acknowledge that it is the only government in the world that provides pension to an individual listed by the UN in the Al Qaeda and Da'esh (Islamic State) Sanctions list?

"Can Pakistan explain why here in New York, its premier bank, the Habib Bank had to shut shop after it was fined millions of dollars over terror financing?

"Will Pakistan deny that the Financial Action Task Force has put the country on notice for its violations of more than 20 of the 27 key parameters?

"And would Prime Minister Khan deny to the city of New York that he was an open defender of Osama bin Laden?"

Maitra said that "having mainstreamed terrorism and hate speech, Pakistan is trying to play its wild card as the newfound champion of human rights".

On the state of Pakistan's minorities, she said: "This is a country that has shrunk the size of its minority community from 23 per cent in 1947 to 3 per cent today and has subjected Christians, Sikhs, Ahmadiyas, Hindus, Shias, Pashtuns, Sindhis and Balochis to draconian blasphemy laws, systemic persecution, blatant abuse and forced conversions."

Pakistan's "newfound fascination for preaching human rights is akin to trophy hunting of the endangered mountain goat - markhor".

"Pogroms, Prime Minister Imran Khan Niazi, are not a phenomenon of today's vibrant democracies. We would request you to refresh your rather sketchy understanding of history.

"Do not forget the gruesome genocide perpetrated by Pakistan against its own people in 1971 and the role played by Lt. Gen A.A.K. Niazi.

"A sordid fact that the Prime Minister of Bangladesh reminded this Assembly about earlier this afternoon," she said.

By using Khan's surname Niazi, that he prefers not to use, India has highlighted his link with the Niazi clan of Pakistan, and the fact that he has been facing increasing calls of "Go Niazi Go Back", even inside Parliament.

The name Niazi reminds Pakistanis of the humiliation of their defeat at India's hands in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh.

The then commanding officer of the Pakistan Army, Lieutenant General Ameer Abdullah Khan Niazi, had surrendered his weapon to the Indian army commander, Lieutenant General Jagjit Singh Aurora, on December 16, 1971.

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Dhaka, Sep 28 (IANS) Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has assured his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina that the National Register of Citizens (NRC) would have "no impact on Bangladesh" and there was no need to be worried about it.

He gave the assurance at a meeting with Hasina at Lotte New York Palace hotel on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly on Friday, the Daily Star reported.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Bangladesh Foreign Minister A.K. Abdul Momen said the talks were held in a very cordial and friendly environment.

He said bilateral concerns like the issues of NRC and water-sharing of the common rivers, including the Teesta, were discussed at the meeting.

Raising the NRC issue, Hasina said it has become a matter of great concern for Bangladesh.

In his reply, Modi said issues like the NRC and water-sharing could be taken care of very easily as the relations between Bangladesh and India were very good.

Modi assured Hasina that Indian officials would work to resolve the issues and said Bangladesh need not worry about it.

Foreign Minister Momen said there had been no detailed discussion at the meeting as the two leaders were going to have a bilateral meeting in New Delhi on October 5.

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New York, Sep 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for home after his week-long visit to the US, that saw him address the Howdy Modi event in Houston and the 74th UN General Assembly, besides holding numerous meetings with heads of state and government and business meetings.

The Prime Minister was seen off at the airport by India's Permanent Representative at the UN Syed Akbaruddin and India's envoy to the US, Harsh Vardhan Shringla.

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New York, Sep 28 (IANS) As he wound up his UNGA engagements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi thanked US President Donald Trump and the people of US for their exceptional welcome, and said he would never forget the Howdy Modi programme, which was made special by Trump attending it.

In a series of tweets before embarking on his visit home, Modi said:

"I would like to express gratitude to the people of USA for the exceptional welcome, warmth and hospitality. I would also like to thank

@POTUS @realDonaldTrump and other respected Members of the American Congress and Government.

"Wherever I went, whoever I met, be it world leaders, industrialists or citizens from all walks of life, there is a great spirit of optimism towards India. There is also immense appreciation of India's efforts to improve sanitation, healthcare and empower the poor.

"Community connect is at the heart of India-USA relations. I will never forget the #HowdyModi programme, made more special by the coming of @POTUS. That gesture showed how much he personally, and USA values ties with India as well as the role of our talented diaspora.

"Drawing more investment to India and acquainting the world with India's reform trajectory was one of the aims too. My interactions with energy sector CEOs in Houston and American captains of industry in NY were successful. The world is eager to explore opportunities in India.

"From the @UN forum, I shared views on India's progress in healthcare, mitigating climate change and the need for all those who believe in humanity to come together to fight terror. India was honoured to host a special event marking the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi.

"At the @UN, I shared my thoughts on how India's development strides have transformed the landscape of our nation and how India will keep working towards making our planet more peaceful, prosperous and harmonious. I also had excellent bilateral meetings with fellow world leaders.

"This USA visit was an extremely productive one. Over the last few days, I have been able to take part in a diverse range of programmes, the outcomes of which will greatly benefit India and our development trajectory," the PM said.

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New York, Sep 28 (IANS) Continuing the spate of diplomatic engagements, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met with the President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, the Mauritius President Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory and the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis, on the sidelines of the UNGA here.

"Had a productive meeting with President @AnastasiadesCY. We discussed the full gamut of issues pertaining to India-Cyprus friendship. This includes boosting commercial, cultural and technological linkages,a the PM tweeted.

Tweeted a picture of his meeting with the Mauritian President, he said: "I was delighted to meet President Paramasivum Pillay Vyapoory. We had a good interaction on ways to diversify India-Mauritius friendship."

Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Kumar Jugnauth tweeted a picture of the two leaders, saying: "It is a great pride to see the Prime Minister

@narendramodi alongside the President of the Republic of Mauritius! "

Modi held a bilateral meeting with the Greece Prime Minister after his address to the UNGA.

"PM @narendramodi with the PM of Greece @kmitsotakis just after delivering the address at #UNGA Both leaders reviewed the state of bilateral relations and discussed steps to intensify political, economic and people to people exchanges," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

On the sidelines, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar too kept up his diplomatic engagements. While meeting his Bahrain counterpart Khalid Bin Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, he tweeted: "A good feeling as always to meet with Bahrain FM @khalidalkhalifa. Appreciated his many insights."

Jaishankar also met his German counterpart Heiko Maas. "Reviewing state of the world with German FM @HeikoMaas,a he posted.

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New York, Sep 28 (IANS) Congratulatory messages poured in for Prime Minister Narendra Modi after his UN General Assembly address here on Friday, as many people requested to click selfies with Modi.

"Congratulatory messages pour in after the @UN General Assembly speech and so do the selfie requests. Those who were able to witness PM @narendramodi's speech at the UN personally convey their good wishes to him," the PMO tweeted with a picture of officials and admirers crowding around the Prime Minister after his speech at the UNGA.

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New York, Sep 28 (IANS) While Prime Minister Narendra Modi's engagements on the UNGA sidelines were development oriented and his address at the top world forum was dignified and statesman-like, Pakistan resorted to jingoism, warmongering, and misuse of the highest global platform.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted: "PM @narendramodi engagements at #UNGA : Climate change, universal health, sanitation, interaction with Fortune 500 companies, Bloomberg's Economic Forum, Mahatma Gandhi, bilateral meetings, CARICOM & Pacific Islands plurilaterals, a dignified & statesman-like address at the #UNGA."

Referring to Pakistan, he posted: "But then, not everyone feels that there is life beyond the jingoism of nuclear war, jihad, encouraging terrorism, war mongering, falsehood, deceit and misuse of the highest global platform."

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New York, Sep 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday held a bilateral meeting with Bhutan Prime Minister Lotay Tshering during which the two expressed satisfaction over the progress made in different sectors, including hydropower, on the sidelines of the UNGA here.

According to a statement by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), this was the fourth meeting between the two Prime Ministers in the last one year, which is reflective of the close and special relations between India and Bhutan.

Modi welcomed Bhutan into the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) as a founding member. The coalition was announced by the Prime Minister in the course of the Climate Action Summit held on September 23 in New York.

The two leaders reviewed the bilateral relationship following the successful visit of Prime Minister Modi to Bhutan in August and expressed satisfaction over the progress made in diverse sectors, including development partnership, hydropower cooperation, people-to-people ties and the recent initiatives taken in the newer areas of space, digital connectivity, financial sector and tertiary education, the statement said.

"A relationship which is uniquely strong and growing! PM @narendramodi had a warm meeting with @PMBhutan on the margins of #UNGA. Reviewed the ongoing bilateral efforts to give greater strength to India-Bhutan ties," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The Bhutan PM also tweeted: "More than a month after his state visit to Bhutan, I meet with Prime Minister @narendramodi here at the sideline of UNGA. Always a pleasure, my friend."

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New York, Sep 28 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during which the two reviewed the "excellent state of bilateral relations" and agreed to take India-Bangladesh relations to new heights on the sidelines of the UNGA.

In their first meeting since their re-election, Modi thanked Sheikh Hasina for attending the special commemorative event organized by India to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth of Mahatma Gandhi.

The two leaders reviewed the excellent state of bilateral relations and cooperation, and agreed to maintain the momentum to take the India-Bangladesh relationship to new heights. The leaders reiterated their zero tolerance approach to terrorism and violent extremism, and agreed that a strong partnership in security had built trust and mutual confidence between the two countries, an MEA statement said.

Improved land, riverine, sea and air connectivity, an intensified partnership in energy, and rapidly expanding trade and economic ties were recognized as important drivers of progress and stability in the region.

Modi congratulated Sheikh Hasina for the impressive economic growth recorded by Bangladesh under her leadership, and emphasized India's commitment to remain a leading development partner of Bangladesh.

The two leaders also discussed the regional and global situation.

Sheikh Hasina extended an invitation to Modi to visit Bangladesh, and suggested that it could be undertaken also in connection with the birth centenary of Bangbandhu, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the founder of Bangladesh. The invitation was accepted by Modi, who also reiterated India's offer to work closely with Bangladesh to mark this important historical milestone.

"Concluding the #UNGA week by meeting a close neighbor. PM @narendramodi Ahad an excellent meeting with Bangladeshi PM #SheikhHasina. The leaders took stock of the rapidly expanding multifaceted bilateral relationship," MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

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By Arul Louis

United Nations, Sep 28 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday held out threats of a conventional war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours spinning out of control and the radicalisation of Muslims in India and around the world in his address to the General Assembly.

Khan painted a chilling picture of bloodshed and terrorism as he attacked India in his extempore speech that lasted more than the 15 minutes allotted to him.

It was mostly a repetition of his speeches elsewhere this week.

Imran Khan spoke after the two speakers who followed Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

His speech was backward looking, focusing on his nation's problems and raising the spectre of war and was a contrast to Modi's.

Modi spoke of his country's achievements and its inspiration to the world for development and the possibilities of the future, with just one mention of the world uniting against terror.

Giving his scenario for war, Imran Khan said that when the "curfew" is lifted in Kashmir there will be a bloodbath.

People will be out in the streets and the troops "will shoot them", he said.

Kashmiris will be further radicalised and he predicted there will be another Pulwama.

Pakistan will be blamed for the reactions if a conventional war starts between the two nuclear-armed countries, anything can happen when a country faces one seven times its size, he said.

"There is no God but one" and "we will fight to the end," he said as some in the gallery cheered and clapped.

Outside the UN, several thousand demonstrated on behalf of Pakistan and against India as he spoke.

Speaking of human rights violations and possible reactions to the aftermath of the lifting of restrictions in Kashmir, Imran Khan asked: "What do you think Muslims will think? What will be their response?"

Muslims in India will be radicalised, and they (India) will blame Pakistan for it, he asserted.

Moreover, someone among the world's 1.3 billion Muslim will act, he said hinting at mass terror as he cited a movie set in America where a man who was mugged goes around killing people in his rage.

He said that India had said that 500 terrorists were at the border, waiting to cross over and asked what would they do against 900,000 troops.

He said that India will use the "mantra" of "radical Islam" and the world will turn away.

He said that world was not acting because of India's market of 1.2 billion people and nations were putting markets above people.

India should lift the "curfew" and let the political prisoners and 2,000 detained "boys" go, he said.

The UN should act immediately to end the lockdown in Kashmir and then get the people of Kashmir their right to self-determination, he added.

Imran Khan also alleged that India was involved in stoking terrorism in Balochistan and claimed that Kulbhushan Jadav, a former Indian Navy officer captured on the Iran border by Pakistan had confessed to aiding terrorists.

In his speech mixing threats and excuses, he defended the action by Muslims against Salman Rushdie for his novel "Satanic Verses" and attacks on those who lampoon or criticise his religion.

He said that the west did not understand the sentiments of the Muslim people and the regard they had for their prophet and accused it of Islamaphobia.

He launched a vicious attack on the RSS saying it was inspired by Hitler and Mussolini and "Aryan" and Hindu supremacy.

This was the ideology that inspired the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said.

Khan said that he had reached out India for talks and a reset in relations, but was repeatedly rebuffed.

India has refused to talk to Pakistan unless it ends its support for terrorism.

Imran Khan also tried to link radical religiosity to Hinduism by trying to paint the suicide bombers of Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka as Hindu religion-based terrorists, when in fact they were ethnic with many Christians in their leadership. The organisation's sea force chief was Soosai and its international spokesperson was Anton Balasingham, among the many Christian leaders of an ethnicity-based organisation.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

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United Nations, Sep 28 (IANS) Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday used the forum of the UN General Assembly to openly appeal to the global Muslim sentiment on the issue of Kashmir as he launched a frontal attack on India, and held out the threat of a conventional war spinning out of control between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

Addressing the top world body, Imran Khan said: "If a conventional war starts and anything could happen, supposing a country seven times smaller than its neighbour is faced with the choice, either you surrender or you fight for your freedom till death; And I asked myself this question, and my belief is 'La-ilaha-illallah', there is no God but one, and we will fight."

He said when a nuclear armed country "fights to the end, it will have consequences far beyond the borders, it will have consequence for the world".

"I am warning you, it is not a threat, it's a fair worry... Where are we headed," he asked, urging the UN to intervene on Kashmir.

He also referred to the Congress in India. "The previous Congress Home Minister gave a statement that in RSS camps, terrorists are being trained, and these terrorists butchered 2,000 Muslims while 150,000 were made homeless," he said.

Referring to the RSS, he said: "Now I must explain what RSS is. Modi is a life member (of RSS). They believe in the ethnic cleansing of Muslims."

In an openly radical Islamist statement, Imran Khan, who exceeded the talk time allocated to him by a fair margin, said that the Muslims in India, which has the second largest population of Muslims in the word, would get radicalised watching the Kashmiris.

"Don't you think they too will be radicalised? Then there will be blame on us again," he said.

"Muslims will become radicals because of this, not because of Islam. Because they see no justice."

Ignoring his own country, its people, its problems and its minorities, Imran Khan chose to focus solely on Kashmir.

He warned that there "will be a bloodbath" in Indian Jammu and Kashmir when the curfew is lifted. "What happens then? Has anyone thought about that," he asked.

Targetting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said: "Illusions of racial superiority and arrogance lead people to make mistakes and cruel decisions," referring to the August 5 revocation of Articles 370 which granted special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

Imran Khan warned that "there will be another Pulwama and then India will blame Pakistan," referring to the February 14 suicide attack in Pulwama, in which 40 Indian security personnel were killed by a Jaish-e-Mohammed operative.

He also accused India of trying to push Pakistan to the Financial Action Task Force blacklist.

"The RSS believes in ethnic cleansing of Muslims and PM Modi is a leader of the RSS," he said.

On Islamophobia, he said that before 9/11, the majority of suicide attacks "were carried out by Tamil Tigers who were Hindus, but no one blamed Hinduism".

"The Prophet lives in our hearts," he said to loud cheers from a section of the audience.

"When the Prophet is ridiculed, the pain of the heart is far, far more hurtful than physical pain. That's all we ask, do not use freedom of speech by insulting our Holy Prophet," he said.

After the speech, Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal tweeted: "Many Muslim diplomats were in tears when PM referred to the Prophet. PM has made a strong case for Muslim ummah and for Pakistan. The speech will be remembered and referred to in the times to come."

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United Nations, Sep 27 (IANS) With mission Kashmir as his sole focus, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan targeted India at the UN General Assembly, with his speech a repetition of everything he has been saying the past few weeks.

Imran Khan did not spare the top world forum a sectarian vision, he openly appealing to global Muslim sentiment against "ethnic cleansing of Muslims" by an "RSS Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi".

Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson Mohammad Faisal tweeted that "Many Muslim diplomats were in tears when PM referred to the Prophet. PM has made a strong case for Muslim ummah and for Pakistan. The speech will be remembered and referred to in the times to come".

Ignoring his own country and its problems, Imran Khan focused solely on Kashmir.

He warned that there "will be a bloodbath" in Indian Jammu and Kashmir when curfew is lifted. "What happens then. Has anyone thought about that?"

Targetting Modi, he said: "Illusions of racial superiority and arrogance lead people to make mistakes and cruel decisions", referring to the August 5 revocation of special status for Kashmir.

Imran Khan warned that "there will be another Pulwama and then India will blame Pakistan", referring to the February 14 suicide terror attack Kashmir, in which 40 Indian security personnel were killed by an operative of the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed.

He accused India of trying to push Pakistan to the Financial Action Task Force blacklist.

"The RSS believes in ethnic cleansing of Muslims and PM Modi is a leader of the RSS," he said.

Referring repeatedly to Islam and Prophet Mohammed, he said: "The Prophet lives in our hearts and the pain of the heart is much more than pain of the body."

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United Nations, Sep 27 (IANS) India presented before the world its rapid strides towards bringing development to its 1.3 billion people -- from toilets in every home, potable water in every tap, building rural roads, bank accounts for every citizen to health insurance and housing for its people -- and said that it was ready to share its experience with other developing countries, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the 74th UN General Assembly here on Friday.

The Prime Minister emphasised before the world that he had been voted back to power by an overwhelming mandate in which 600 million people had voted, the largest such election anywhere in the world, to stress the massive mandate he had got, thus conveying to the world that his every move had the backing of the people.

Modi detailed the development works his government has brought about since 2014, when he was first voted to power, -- from Swachh Bharat, building 11 crore toilets, free healthcare for 50 crore people, the Jan Dhan Yojana for linking people to bank accounts, Digital India, to bringing potable water to the people -- to tell the world about the inclusiveness of his governance.

Though he did not mention Kashmir in his speech, the import of his address was clear -- that his every move was aimed to bring governance to every citizen, something that Jammu and Kashmir was deprived of due to Article 370. The Prime Minister emphasised that he had got people's overwhelming mandate to go forward.

"At a time when the entire world is celebrating the 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the world's biggest elections took place with 600 million people, the most number of people in the world, voting for me and my government. And due to that I am again here in fornt of you. But the message behind this victory is more significant," Modi said, as he outlined the development and welfare programmes his government has been pushing.

He said that Digital India has helped establish peoples' rights and remove corruption, saving to the tune of $20 billion, which is "a message of hope for the world."

Modi said that India has decided to rid itself of single use plastic in the next five years and bring potable water to 15 crore households, besides building roads in the far flung villages.

By 2022, when the country celebrates 75 years of its Independence, India would build two crore more houses, he said, adding that by 2025, India would rid itself of tuberculosis.

Modi said that all the work is being done through peoples' participation -- "jan bhagidari se jan kalyan".

"And this is not just for India, but for the world -- 'Jan Kalyan se Jag Kalyan'," he said, outlining India's vision of its leadership role for developing countries.

"The progress is for everyone," he said, adding that in his interactions with other developing countries, he had heard how they faced challenges in the path of their development.

"When I listen to their problems and get to learn from them, my resolve gets strengthened. As I go forward to bring about development for my country, it should be able to help other countries as well," he said.

Highlighting India's message of inclusiveness, Modi quoted Tamil poet Kaniyan Pungundranar of 3,000 years ago and said, "We belong to all places and we belong to everyone."

"The sense of belonging beyond borders is unique to India," he said.

On the issue of climate change facing the world, Modi said India has raised its target for renewable energy to 450 GW, as he invited other countries to join the global disaster infrastructure fund.

Highlighting India's participation in bringing peace to the world, he said that in UN peacekeeping missions, India has made the biggest sacrifice.

He then briefly, but effectively, touched on the issue of terrorism -- obliquely targeting Pakistan.

Modi said that India has given the world the message of peace, "Buddhaa", and not war, "yuddh", and that is why its voice carries seriousness when it alerts the world against terrorism, and anger too -- in a reference to the terrorism wrought in India by Pakistan-backed elements.

The Prime Minister also said that a "world divided on the issue of terror" harms the very principles on which the UN was created.

He called for the world to unite against terror for the sake of humanity.

Modi said: "India has given the world not war (yuddh) but Buddha or peace, the message of peace. And that is why we have the seriousness when we raise our voice against terror, and anger too," changing the decibel of his tone to emphasise the point.

"We agree that terrorism is not just a challenge for one country, but for the entire world... It's the biggest challenge for humanity.

"A world divided on the issue of terror harms those very principles on which the UN was created. For the sake of humanity, the world must unite and come together against terrorism," he said.

Modi also called for new focus on multilateralism, and on the UN, saying that in view of the changes that are happening around the globe, "a disunited world is not in anyone's benefit".

He said that countries cannot afford to remain within their borders any longer.

"And in this, we have to give new focus to multilateralism, and to the UN," he said.

The Prime Minister then cited Swami Vivekananda's famous speech on religious harmony delivered in Chicago in 1893.

"India gives the same message of harmony and peace, and not dissension," he said.

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United Nations, Sep 27 (IANS) In a strong message against terror, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told the UN General Assembly (UNGA) on Friday that India has given the world the message of peace, "Buddha", and not war, "yuddh", and that is why its voice not only carries seriousness when it alerts the world against terrorism, but anger too -- in an oblique reference to the terrorism wrought in India by Pakistan-backed elements.

Addressing the 74th UN General Assembly, Prime Minister Modi also said that a "world divided on the issue of terror" harms the very principles on which the UN was created.

He called for the world to unite against terror for the sake of humanity.

Modi said: "India has given the world not war (yuddh), but Buddha or peace... The message of peace. And that is why we have the seriousness when we raise our voice against terror, and anger too," at which point the Prime Minister changed the decibel of his tone to emphasise the point.

"We agree that terrorism is not just a challenge for one country, but for the entire world... It is the biggest challenge for humanity.

"A world divided on the issue of terror harms those very principles on which the UN was created. For the sake of humanity, the world must unite and come together against terrorism," the Prime Minister said.

Modi also called for new focus on multilateralism, and on the UN, saying that in view of the changes that are happening around the globe, "a disunited world is not in anyone's benefit."

He said that countries cannot afford to remain within their borders any longer.

"And in this, we have to give new focus to multilateralism, and to the UN," Modi said.

The Prime Minister then cited Swami Vivekananda's famous speech on religious harmony in Chicago in 1893.

"India gives the same message of harmony and peace, and not dissension," he said.

Earlier in his speech, Modi cited the development works of his government such as Swachh Bharat, Har Ghar Jal, Jan Bhagidari and Digital India. He also spoke about the huge mandate his government received in the 2019 Lok Sabha polls.

The Prime Minister spoke about 'Jan Kalyan' to 'Jagat Kalyan', of helping other developing countries in facing their challenges.

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By Arul Louis

United Nations, Sep 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi made India's development story as the centrepiece of his General Assembly address, offering it as an inspiration to the world.

India's development saga serves to "build confidence in the poor across the entire world" and "give the world a new hope," Modi said.

Delivering a message of universalism, he said the development "efforts are ours, but their fruits are for all, for the entire world".

"The very core of our approach is public welfare through public participation and this public welfare is not just for India but for the entire world," he declared.

"All our endeavours, are centered on 1.3 billion Indians. But the dreams that these efforts are trying to fulfil, are the same dreams that the entire world has, that every country has, and that every society has," he said.

"And this conviction of mine gets stronger every day, when I think of those countries, who, just like India, are striving for development, each in their own way," he said after listing India's achievements ranging from building 100 million toilets and health insurance world's biggest health to opening 370 million bank accounts for the poor and the world's biggest digital identification program.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

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By Arul Louis

United Nations, Sep 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi decried the lack of unanimity in fighting terrorism, the biggest challenge for humanity, in his address to the UNGA on Friday.

"The lack of unanimity amongst us on the issue of terrorism, dents those very principles, that are the basis for the creation of the UN," Modi said, addressing the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

"We believe that this (terrorism) is one of the biggest challenges, not for any single country, but for the entire world and humanity," he said.

India has given the world 'Buddha' and not "yudh" (war), and that is why when it raises its voice against terror, it not only has seriousness, but also anger, Modi noted.

"We belong to a country that has given the world, not war, but Buddha's message of peace. And that is the reason why, our voice against terrorism, to alert the world about this evil, rings with seriousness and the outrage."

Modi's speech was focused on development and inspiring the world to take on the challenges of development.

In a brief segment on terrorism, he recalled India's contribution to peacekeeping operations, which adds weight to India's voice against terrorism.

"The largest number of supreme sacrifices made by soldiers of any country for UN Peacekeeping missions is from India," he said.

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United Nations, Sep 27 (IANS) Raising his voice strongly against terror, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday that India is a country which has given the world 'Buddha' and not "yudh" (war), and that is why when it raises its voice against terror, it not only has seriousness, but also anger.

Addressing the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), the Prime Minister also urged the world to unite against terror.

"We believe that terrorism is not a challenge for any one country, but for all the countries and the mankind as a whole. So for the sake of mankind, the world has to unite against terror," Modi said.

He also said that the world should not see terror in different terms.

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New York, Sep 27 (IANS) IBSA - a forum comprising India, Brazil and South Africa, three large democracies and major economies from three different continents, facing similar challenges - voiced concern at the slow pace of Inter-Governmental negotiations on UN Security Council reform, which have not produced tangible progress in the UNGA.

At a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of IBSA - India's S. Jaishankar, Brazil's Ernesto Araujo and South Africa's Naledi Pandor, held on Thursday, the forum urged "redoubling of efforts to achieve progress on early comprehensive reform of the Security Council", with the onset of the 75th anniversary of the UN in 2020.

"The reform of the international economic governance architecture, including the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and the international financial institutions, should also be a priority," it said.

"IBSA countries have contributed meaningfully in making the international economic governance architecture more representative and democratic, and will continue to work together to advance an agenda that promotes sustainable development and inclusive growth," the IBSA said, according to a MEA statement.

The process of WTO reform must keep development at its core, promote inclusiveness and non-discrimination, build trust and address the inequalities and asymmetries in existing agreements. It should take into account the diversity of interests and concerns of the whole membership, including developing members, in particular Least Developed Countries, the grouping said.

IBSA countries recognise the central role played by the WTO in promoting the interests of developing countries on issues such as agriculture.

Strengthening the global financial safety net, with a strong, quotaabased, and adequately resourced International Monetary Fund (IMF) at its centre, is essential, it said, adding: "We must work towards concluding the 15th General Review of Quotas, including a new quota formula at the Annual Meetings of 2019."

IBSA also reiterated its commitment to working together on strengthening cooperation to prosecute persons sought for corruption and other economic crimes, including through international organisations and institutions such as the G20, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) and others.

"We underscore the need for continuing consultations and exchange of views between the IBSA countries in order to build partnerships in multilateral fora."

The forum also took note of the progress made by the IBSA Fund for the Alleviation of Poverty and Hunger (IBSA Fund), which provides financial support for South-owned, South-led, demand-driven, and transformational projects across the developing world, with a focus on Least Developed Countries. "We welcome the developmental impact created by the Fund on the ground."

"We commit ourselves to promoting the reform of the multilateral system through cooperation and coordination in all relevant multilateral fora and international organizations including the WTO and groupings of G20, BRICS, BASIC, and G-77," it said.

The IBSA grouping was formalized and named the IBSA Dialogue Forum when the Foreign Ministers of the three countries met in Brasilia on June 6, 2003 and issued the Brasilia Declaration.

Cooperation in IBSA is on three fronts: first, as a forum for consultation and coordination on global and regional political issues, such as, the reform of the global institutions of political and economic governance, WTO/Doha Development Agenda, climate change, terrorism etc.; second, trilateral collaboration on concrete areas/projects, through 14 working groups and six People-to-People Forums, for the common benefit of three countries; and third, assisting other developing countries by taking up projects in the latter through IBSA Fund.

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New York, Sep 27 (IANS) All eyes will be on the UN General Assembly (UNGA) where India and Pakistan will take the stage, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi outlining the country's larger role on the world stage and what it was doing for development, peace and security, while his Pakistan counterpart Imran Khan will solely focus on Kashmir.

Modi's address at the 74th session of the UNGA on Friday will take place at around 7.30 p.m. India time.

He will be among the first few speakers, and Khan is slated to address the world body after him.

India has made it clear that it will not mention Kashmir at all during the time allotted to speak at the global forum as revocation of the Article 370 was an entirely "internal issue".

India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador Syed Akbaruddin has said that India will "soar high if Pakistan stoops low" by raking up the Kashmir issue at the UNGA.

In his departure statement, Modi said: "There are many pressing challenges for the international community - a still fragile global economy, turbulence and tension in many parts of the world, growth and spread of terrorism, climate change and the endemic global challenge of poverty.

"They require stronger global commitment and concerted multilateral action. I will reiterate our commitment to reformed multilateralism, which is responsive, effective and inclusive, and in which India plays her due role."

Pakistan has been raising the pitch aggressively on the Kashmir issue, and even got Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to speak on Kashmir. With Khan alleging that India was out to change the demography of Kashmir into a Hindu-majority one from the present Muslim majority state, under what he calls as the "Hindu fascist and supremacist" government of Modi, he appears to have got Turkey's ear.

Erdogan has obviously bought Pakistan's narrative on Kashmir, without bothering to speak to India on it. On Wednesday, Erdogan told the UNGA that despite the UN resolutions "eight million people are stuck" in Kashmir.

Erdogan said that the 72-year-old Kashmir issue should be resolved through dialogue on the basis of justice and equity.

The Turkish president also co-hosted a roundtable on hate speech with Khan on the sidelines of the UNGA and in his address cited incidents in India where Muslims had been "lynched for eating beef".

The 57-member Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC)'s Contact Group on Kashmir has also asked India to reverse its revocation of special status for Jammu and Kashmir and allow access to international bodies, including OIC and UN, to independently investigate reports of "gross and systematic human rights violations taking place there".

India has been pursuing an active diplomatic outreach, both before the UNGA and also during the ongoing session, to present its case before the world community, the reasons for revocation of special status, its plans for bringing development to Kashmir and Pakistan's role in actively stymieing any development through fostering terrorism across the border.

US President Donald Trump, though he has several times suggested mediation on Kashmir, kept away from mentioning the issue in his speech, and has voiced confidence in Modi tackling cross-border terror.

He has also "encouraged" Modi to improve relations with Islamabad and "fulfil his promises" to better the lives of the Kashmiri people, according to a readout of their bilateral meeting.

Khan has been raising the spectre of a massacre in Jammu and Kashmir once the curfew is lifted, in his meetings with the Human Rights Watch and the editorial staff of the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, and his interview to CNBC.

While Modi will not talk about Kashmir, a junior Indian diplomat is expected to counter Khan's statement at the UNGA in the right to reply.

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New York, Sep 27 (IANS) Continuing India's active diplomatic outreach on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) here, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his counterparts from several countries, including Japan, Brazil and Singapore.

Besides the meetings on Thursday, Jaishankar also participated in multilateral sessions of the India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA), BRICS - Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, SAARC, and the Quad - India, US, Japan and Australia.

The SAARC meeting saw the Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi boycott the event during Jaishankar's speech over Kashmir.

Jaishankar met his Brazilian counterpart Ernesto Araujo and Federal Deputy Eduardo Bolsonaro during a bilateral.

He also met his Maldivian counterpart Abdulla Shahid and discussed strengthening bilateral ties.

"Both sides agreed to work more closely to take Maldives-India ties to new heights," Shahid said in a tweet.

Jaishankar also met the European Union's Foreign Policy chief Federica Mogherini, whom he had met earlier this month to convey India's Kashmir move.

"The UNGA is a great place to catch up with old friends. Good to meet EU High Representative @FedericaMog," he said in a tweet.

Jaishankar also met his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan. "A much-needed coffee break. With just the right companion, FM @VivianBala of Singapore," he tweeted, with a picture of the two Ministers enjoying a coffee break.

He met newly-appointed Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi. "Expecting to work closely with him on our special relationship," he tweeted.

He met his Croatian counterpart Gordan Grlic Radman. "Brought back good memories of Zagreb," Jaishankar tweeted.

Jaishankar also met his counterparts from Sierra Leone and Latvia, Nabeela Tunis and Edgars Rinkevics.

He met the Ugandan Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda. "India-Uganda ties are a textbook case for South-South cooperation," he tweeted.

He also met his Paraguayan counterpart Antonio Rivas Palacios.

"A day that began with Brazil ended with Paraguay. Thank you FM @ARivasPalacios for your strong support for our bilateral relationship. Look forward to cooperating closely in the multilateral arena," Jaishankar tweeted.

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By Arul Louis

New York, Sep 27 (IANS) The Quad - the four-way dialogue between the US, Japan, India and Australia - has met at the ministerial level for the first time in a "significant elevation" of the dialogue on efforts by the partners countries to advance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, said Alice Wells, the Acting Assistant Secretary for South Asia.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo hosted the meeting here on Thursday that was attended by Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, and Foreign Ministers Toshimitsu Motegi of Japan and Marise Payne of Australia.

"We had a wide-ranging discussion of our collective efforts to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, but also touching on counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime security cooperation, development finance, and cybersecurity," Wells said at a State Department briefing.

"The US and Indian joint participation in the Quad also demonstrates the strength of the US-India relationship and our shared commitment to, again, advancing a values-based policy towards the region," she said.

The Quad has met four times in the past two years at the level of senior officials like her, but the ministerial meeting "was a significant elevation of the level of our dialogue and really demonstrates the leadership of all four countries in institutionalising this gathering of like-minded Indo-Pacific partners", Wells said.

"We had a wide-ranging discussion of our collective efforts to advance a free and open Indo-Pacific, but also touching on counterterrorism, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, maritime security cooperation, development finance, and cybersecurity," she said.

Jaishankar tweeted a thank you to the other participants.

Pompeo said in his tweet: "We discussed our shared interest in building a free and open Indo-Pacific, denuclearization of North Korea, and joint efforts to promote regional stability."

Payne tweeted that they met "to discuss our efforts to maintain and promote an open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and reaffirm our Quad commitment to shared values and cooperation".

While the ministerial was taking place, 11,500 km away in Sasebo, Japan, the Malabar Exercise of the Navies of three Quad members, India, the US and Japan, was taking place.

A senior State Department official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said that exercises like this contributed to security cooperation among the Quad members, but the group did not want to become a military alliance.

It was not directed against anyone, the official added.

About New Delhi's cooperation with Washington in the context of the Quad, the official said that the US welcomed and supported "India's emergence as a net security provider in the region and a global actor and we regard India's contribution as vital to the safeguarding of a rules-based system in the Indo-Pacific region".

The cooperation "reflects a shared commitment to uphold the rule of law, counter-terrorism cooperation freedom of navigation, democratic values and economic growth - and these are all values that we will advance across the region", the official added.

Besides continuing to work with the Quad, the US is looking to expanding cooperation with India through the bilateral mechanisms like the 2+2 meetings of the defence and foreign affairs leaders of the two countries.

The official emphasised the centrality of ASEAN to the Indo-Pacific region and said the Quad would work closely with it.

One of the issues facing the region is the "predatory lending" that is loading up countries with unsustainable loans, the official said referring to China.

While the Quad would not set up another bank, the members would help develop private sector financing using some government aid as seed money for the development of countries.

In advancing the development of other countries cooperatively, the Quad would rely on a system of division of labour with each member contributing in the areas where they have abilities, considering that they are all different.

An important area of cooperation is in disaster relief, the official said, noting that the seeds of the Quad were sown when they came together during the 2004 tsunami and earthquake to carry out relief operations.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

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By Arul Louis

New York, Sep 27 (IANS) A meeting amid heightened tensions in the Gulf region, an area vital to India's economy, Prime Minister Narendra Modi told Iranian President Hassan Rouhani that New Delhi supports diplomacy and dialogue to bring peace and stability to the zone.

Modi "reiterated India's support for giving priority to diplomacy, dialogue and confidence-building in the interest of maintaining peace, security and stability in the Gulf region", said a statement issued by India after their meeting here on Thursday.

"They discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest," it said.

India has had to cut its oil imports from Iran because of the US sanctions against Tehran after President Donald Trump withdrew from the multilateral nuclear non-proliferation agreement with the Islamic Republic.

Despite the setback due to the oil embargo imposed by the US sanctions, the statement said that "the two leaders positively assessed the progress in bilateral relations since their first meeting at (the Russian city of) Ufa in 2015".

However, the US has not enforced its economic sanctions on India's Chabahar Port project in Iran close to the Afghanistan border.

Modi and Rouhani, who are here for the UN General Assembly, "especially mentioned operationalisation of the Chabahar Port and noted it's importance as gateway to and for the landlocked Afghanistan and the Central Asian region", the statement said.

The Gulf region has witnessed a steady escalation of tensions with attacks on oil tankers, Iran shooting down a US drone, and a strike on Saudi facilities attributed by Washington and Western allies to Iran.

Speaking at the General Assembly on Wednesday, Rouhani proposed a Coalition of Hope to bring together all the countries affected by the tensions in the Gulf region to promote peace and stability there.

It could develop in to a mechanism for the collective energy supply security, freedom of navigation and free transfer of oil and other resources to and from the Strait of Hormuz and beyond, he said.

It is, however, unlikely to take off because of the historic rivalries complicated by modern politics among the countries of the region.

Most of India's oil and gas imports come through the Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz and disruption of the supply route would hit India's economy.

India has millions of workers in countries of the region who would be affected by conflicts there.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

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New York, Sep 27 (IANS) AThe Quad - the four-way dialogue between the US, Japan, India and Australia - for a free and open Indo-Pacific was held at the foreign minister's level for the first time on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly here.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Australia's Marise Payne, met to discuss the Indo-Pacific strategy.

"Thank you #Quad Foreign Ministers @SecPompeo @moteging Aand @MarisePayne," tweeted Jaishankar.

Pompeo tweeted: "Positive meeting with @MarisePayne, @DrSJaishankar, and @moteging.

"We discussed our shared interest in building a free and open #IndoPacific, denuclearization of #NorthKorea, and joint efforts to promote regional stability."

Payne tweeted: "I met today in New York with my counterparts from the US, Japan and India to discuss our efforts to maintain and promote an open, prosperous and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and reaffirm our #Quad commitment to shared values and cooperation."

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New York, Sep 27 (IANS) BRICS Foreign Ministers, meeting on the sidelines of the UNGA here, reiterated their strong condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations whenever, wherever and by whomsoever committed.

The foreign ministers of the five-nation grouping, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, expressed their conviction that a comprehensive approach is necessary to ensure an effective fight against terrorism.

They urged concerted efforts to counter terrorism in accordance with the international law and under UN auspices, and stressed in this regard the need for early adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT).

India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Russia's Sergei Lavrov, China's Wang Yi, South Africa's Naledi Pandor and Brazil's Ernesto Ara?jo, attended the meeting.

The Ministers underscored the importance of sustained efforts aimed at making the United Nations more effective and efficient in implementing its mandates.

They encouraged further cooperation amongst BRICS countries on a better resourced UN, on its administration and budget, on preserving the UN's Member State-driven character and ensuring better oversight of and strengthening the Organisation, the grouping said in a statement.

The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to multilateralism and to the multilateral trading system with the WTO at its centre. They reiterated the urgent need to strengthen and reform the multilateral system, including the UN, the WTO, the IMF, and other international organisations.

The Ministers further reiterated their commitment to transparent, non-discriminatory, open, free and inclusive international trade and noted that protectionism and unilateralism run counter to the rules and the spirit of the WTO.

They urged all States to refrain from promulgating and applying any economic, financial or trade measures not in accordance with the rules of the WTO, international law and the Charter of the United Nations that impede the full achievement of economic and social development, particularly in developing countries.

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By Arul Louis

New York, Sep 27 (IANS) Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi has walked out of the SAARC ministers' meeting here before the speech by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Jaishankar spoke after the boycott said terrorism was a deliberate obstacle to regional cooperation.

Jaishankar left the meeting after his speech and avoided coming face-to-face with Qureshi.

The official Twitter account of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf, the ruling party, said of the boycott, "Pakistan will not engage with the butcher of Kashmir."

Qureshi later returned to the meeting and spoke.

The meeting was presided over by Nepal, the current head of the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation and its other foreign ministers from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka participated.

In his speech, Jaishankar said, "Ours is really not just a story of missed opportunities but also of deliberate obstacles. Terrorism is among them."

"In our view, elimination of terrorism in all its forms is a precondition not only for fruitful cooperation but also for the very survival of our region itself," he said.

He said the region's nations should instead work together to bring prosperity to the people.

"The example of South Asian Satellite shows how India has been taking up the initiatives that bear prosperity to the neighbourhood. South Asian satellite was launched in 2017 with an intention to arrive at scientific solutions to address poverty in the SAARC region," he said.

Last year, the late External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj left the SAARC ministerial meeting held on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly after her speech.

Later speaking at a think tank, Qureshi undiplomatically made crude personal comments about her.

Interactions between India and Pakistan at the SARC has been strained because of Islamabad's backing for terrorism.

India refused to participate in the SAARC summit in 2016 in Pakistan after a terrorist attack on an Army base in Kashmir. It was cancelled after Afghanistan, Bangladesh and Bhutan also decided not to attend.

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

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New York, Sep 27 (IANS) The elimination of terrorism in all its forms is a precondition not only for fruitful cooperation among South Asian neighbours but also for the very survival of the region itself, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Thursday at the SAARC Foreign Ministers meet that was boycotted by Pakistan.

He said the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation is "really not just a story of missed opportunities but also of deliberate obstacles. Terrorism is among them."

Citing the example of the South Asian Satellite, he said it shows how India has been taking up the initiatives that bear prosperity to the neighbourhood. The South Asian satellite was launched in 2017 with an intention to arrive at scientific solutions to address poverty in the SAARC region.

He gave the example of the South Asian University, "of India building academic excellence that will have generational impact".

The 1,174 students graduated from SAU contribute immensely to the development of their respective member states. "We're committed to giving 100 per cent capital cost towards construction of SAU," he said.

"Regionalism has taken root in every corner of the world. If we have lagged behind, it is because South Asia does not have normal trade and connectivity that other regions do.

"It is unfortunate that we have not made any headway with respect to some connectivity initiatives such as Motor Vehicles and Railways Agreements. Similarly, there has been no progress in the SAARC Regional Air Services Agreement, initiated by India," he said.

"There are other success stories of last year: extension of the National Knowledge Network to our SAARC partner countries. The NKN extension has been completely implemented in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. Its extension to Bhutan was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in August,a he added.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi boycotted the speech by Jaishankar, delivered on the sidelines of the UNGA here, and entered the venue after the Indian minister had left. Qureshi said the boycott was over Kashmir.

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New York, Sep 27 (IANS) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday participated along with foreign ministers from dozens of other countries in the Alliance for Multilateralism, a Franco-German initiative that was launched during the ongoing 74th UN General Assembly here.

"Thank you all Foreign Ministers - Alliance for Multilateralism," tweeted Jaishankar.

Germany and France had in April this year announced the creation of an "Alliance of Multilateralism" to promote global cooperation at a time of rising nationalism and isolationism.

The initiative was officially launched during the ongoing United Nations General Assembly.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas and his French counterpart, Jean-Yves Le Drian, had announced the initiative in April.

The alliance's first objective would be to show that countries that "support multilateralism and support the United Nations remain the majority in the world."

The second objective would be to establish a network of countries ready to support multilateralism and cooperation, including joint efforts on inequality, climate change and the consequences of new technology.

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New York, Sep 27 (IANS) High drama was witnessed at the SAARC Foreign Ministers meet on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly on Thursday as Pakistan boycotted the meeting while Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar gave his address.

Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi kept away from the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Foreign Ministers meeting as Jaishankar was giving his address, and once the Indian minister finished and left, the Pakistan minister made his entry.

Pakistan's action comes even as it has been continually accusing India of hampering South Asian integration and SAARC.

"It is not possible for me to sit with the murderer of Kashmiris," Qureshi told reporters after boycotting the speech, according to Pakistani media.

Earlier, Qureshi had in a statement said: "Pakistan will not engage with the 'Butcher of Kashmir' until and unless they (India) lift the siege and put an end to atrocities in occupied Kashmir."

"They must safeguard the human rights of every Kashmiri and ensure they are protected and not violated and trampled upon," he said.

Jaishankar refused to speak to milling reporters asking him to comment on Pakistan's boycott.

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New York, Sep 27 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Iranian President Hassan Rouhani during which they discussed Chabahar Port and its importance as a gateway landlocked Afghanistan and the Central Asian region.

Meeting on the sidelines of the High Level Segment of the 74th Session of UNGA on Thursday, the two leaders discussed bilateral relations and exchanged views on regional and global developments of mutual interest.

Noting that India and Iran shared old and civilisational ties, the two leaders positively assessed the progress in bilateral relations since their first meeting at Ufa in 2015.

They especially mentioned operationalisation of Chabahar Port and noted it's importance as gateway to and for the landlocked Afghanistan and the Central Asian region, a MEA statement said.

PM Modi reiterated India's support for giving priority to diplomacy, dialogue and confidence building in the interest of maintaining peace, security and stability in the Gulf region, which is of vital importance for India.

Both agreed to mark the 70th Anniversary of establishment of diplomatic relations in 2020, the statement said.

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New York, Sep 26 (IANS) How does one talk to Pakistan, which uses terrorism as a "large scale industry against its neighbour" and then follows a policy of "implausible deniability", External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Thursday, adding that it "cannot be terrorism by night and business as usual by day".

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations here, Jaishankar said that in Pakistan, "large sections have a deep antipathy towards India".

He said that Pakistan had "slowed down regionalism" by not allowing India connectivity to Afghanistan.

"The conduct of terrorism as a legitimate instrument of statecraft is not acceptable as a norm of international relations," he said, adding that no country uses terrorism "as a large scale industry against its neighbour".

"How to talk to a neighbour that follows a policy of implausible deniability. How do you address that," he asked.

To a question on "rapprochement" with Pakistan through cricketing ties, Jaishankar said that he had helped find a home base for the Afghan cricket team and was delighted to see the Afghans doing well in cricket today.

"It is difficult in real life to separate issues if you see some of the very difficult things that have happened between India and Pakistan... We had a major attack on an airbase some years ago (Pathankot), in 2016 we had an attack on a military camp (Uri) that killed a lot of people, this year we had a suicide attack that killed a lot of security personnel (Pulwama).

"If the dominant narrative of a relationship is terrorism, suicide bombings and violence, and then you say 'okay guys tea break' let's play cricket... It is a hard narrative to sell to people. And in a democracy, the sentiments of people do matter. You can't do terrorism by night and say it is business as usual by day," he said.

To a question whether India and Pakistan were "permanent enemies", Jaishankar said that "no neighbour can give up on a neighbour".

"Pakistan needs to change their position (on terror as an instrument of statecraft), not for us, but for itself. I used to be concerned about Pakistan, and still am, but now I am concerned for Pakistan. Their own self-interest mandates that they take a different tack," he said.

On the "thought process" behind the August 5 abrogation of special status to Jammu and Kashmir, Jaishankar said there were a number of consequences due to Articles 370 and 35A, as Kashmir did not have economic activity, there were fewer jobs or job opportunities, which led to frustration, and a climate of separatism was fanned from across the border.

The progressive legislations of India did not apply to Jammu and Kashmir, and the right to work, education, information or affirmative action, and the law for representation of women in legislative bodies, juvenile protection laws were not applicable there.

He said the economic and social impact of Articles 370 and 35A led to political consequences, and allowed a "narrow elite to arbitrage Article 370 and create closed loop politics", who had vested interests in keeping the separatist politics alive. There were separatist groups aligning with Pakistan.

The External Affairs Minister went on to say that the government did a review, and had two choices before it. One was a set of policies that were "visibly not working" -- with 42,000 people killed, the "level of intimidation had reached a height" where a senior police official was lynched, police and army officials returning home for Eid were killed by militants and journalists who wrote against separatists were assassinated.

"Pre August 5, please remember this situation was in a mess. The difficulties did not start after August 5," he said.

The choice was either to continue with what was not working or do something new, and the decision was to try something very different.

He said the government realised that it will not be easy to bring economic and social changes in Kashmir "as there are deep vested interests that will resist" and that terrorists would use the situation to their benefit.

The government wants to manage the situation without loss of lives, he said.

"The primary concern of the government is to prevent loss of life. And if we put temporary suspension of the internet on one side, and loss of life on the other, I know what side I would pick," Jaishankar said.

He also enumerated that landlines are being restored in the Valley, mobile towers are being switched on, schools are open, and economic activity has picked up.

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New York, Sep 26 (IANS) External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the Kashmir issue should not be seen through a communal lens as the Jamiat-Ulema-e-Hind, one of the leading Islamic organisations in India, had backed the changes there, and the fact that India's relations with the Muslim nations of the Gulf have seen an upward trajectory in the past five years negates the idea that the government is anti-Muslim.

Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations, Jaishankar, to a question on the "rise of politicised Hindu nationalism" in India, said he did not agree with the analysis of the questioner.

"I would put it differently. What we have seen after 70 years of independence is the result of the democratisation of India. Today political power, social power and to some extent economic power has shifted out of the big cities, the more cosmopolitan cities, where people speak English and have a global comfort level, and moved to a different set of people; to those who are comfortable speaking in their own languages, to a milieu far more rooted on the ground."

He said the changes in India "actually demonstrate the successes of democracy, and what it has meant in terms of consequences on the ground".

He said he does not accept the view that secularism is under threat in India.

"At the end of day, secularism was not promoted by a law or by a constitutional belief, it was promoted by the ethos of the society. If the ethos of a society was not secular, no law, or constitutional provision would have ensured it. I don't think the ethos of our society has changed, and the ethos of India, the Hindu ethos, is very secular."

To another question that there is a "deep perception of Hindu nationalism" in the country, and a view that Prime Minister Narendra Modi is "nationalistic and anti-Muslim", Jaishankar debunked the view.

He said the Jamaiat-Ulema-e-Hind, a "national organisation of great influence and weight in Indian, at their annual meeting, have spoken out very clearly in favour of changes in Kashmir. I would not agree that the Kashmir issue should be seen through a communal lens".

He was referring to the allegations of Pakistan that India is out to change the demography of Kashmir from a Muslim majority one to a Hindu majority, under what Imran Khan calls a "fascist, Hindu supremacist" government led by Modi.

"If you look today at changes in India, probably the word that captures it best is, India is modernising, in a very interesting way. And it's not necessarily state driven. Anything the state does is overshadowed by what the smartphone does. The moment people have money, when I had money the first thing I dreamt was having a car. Today someone who is 16, 17,18 wold think of getting a phone and improving the phone.

"Today we are seeing a more urbanising society, a society that is more meritocratic, the social gains are spreading, but at the same time, there is more internal mobility, which was not there before. I would predict that you would have a society where increasingly traditional identities matter less than they did in the past."

Jaishankar also said: "In terms of how to approach the Indian state of the ruling political party.. today if there is one area of where we can boast of visibly good relations in the last five years is the Gulf, and you know the dominant faith in the Gulf.

"I think they (Gulf nations) see it, there is an objectivity about them, they don't have vested interests in what is essentially an Indian domestic discourse.

"I would not be comfortable with the view that we are headed for some kind of a collision with the Muslim community globally. That is not the case."

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By Arul Louis

United Nations, Sep 26 (IANS) India and its G4 partners pushing for Security Council expansion have decried the lack of openness and transparency in the reform negotiations.

The "time has come to leave behind debates based solely on general statements, without substantive negotiation" in pursuing reform, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his counterparts, Ernesto Araujo of Brazil, Heiko Maas of Germany, and Motegi Toshimitsu of Japan, said in a statement after their meeting on Wednesday.

The four nations are known as G4 and besides working together for Security Council reform, they support each other for permanent seats on an expanded body.

They said that the last General Assembly Session session has again shown that the inter-governmental negotiations (IGN) process "lacks the necessary openness and transparency and is constrained by flawed working methods".

The African nations that do not have a permanent seat on the Security Council have taken a common stand on reform, demanding two permanent seats.

The Security Council that oversees peacekeeping operations, most of which are on the continent, does not have any permanent members from there.

The G4 ministers requested General Assembly President Tijjani Muhammad-Bande of Nigeria to update the working of the IGN and start text-based negotiations.

A majority of the UN members support early reform of the Security Council, but the biggest barrier to the negotiations has been the opposition from a small group of countries led by Italy and which includes Pakistan.

They have been using the procedural ploy of preventing the IGN from adopting a negotiating text that will serve as the basis for discussions.

The G4 said that the text-based negotiations to be launched should be launched soon "based on a single comprehensive text reflecting positions and proposals by member states that have been amply outlined over the last ten years".

The permanent seats of the Security Council are frozen in time based on the post-World War II situation of the 1940s when the UN was founded.

The ministers said that they hoped that as the UN prepares to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its founding next year, the General Assembly "will pave the way for finally moving on the call for an 'early reform' of the Security Council, that was made in the 2005 World Summit".

(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed on Twitter @arulouis)

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New York, Sep 26 (IANS) India furthered growth in its ties with the powerful six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) as External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar held talks with foreign ministers of the GCC countries on the sidelines of the 74th UN General Assembly.

"A meeting with key partners: the #GulfCooperationCouncil -- SG GCC Abdullatif bin Rashid Al Zayani, FM of Oman Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah & State Minister for Foreign Affairs of UAE @AnwarGargash. Very productive discussion on further growth of ties," Jaishankar tweeted about the meeting that took place on Wednesday.

Among those who took part in the meeting were Kuwait's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah; Abdullatif bin Rashid Al-Zayani, Secretary General of GCC; Foreign Minister of Oman Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah; and UAE's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash.

The meeting reviewed the friendly relations between the member states of the GCC and India.

The meeting was co-chaired by Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah, the current chair of the GCC Ministerial Council, and Jaishankar.

The GCC is a political and economic alliance of six countries in the Arabian Peninsula: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Set up in 1981, the GCC promotes economic, security, cultural and social cooperation between the six nations.

The GCC countries possess almost half of the world's oil reserves.

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New York, Sep 26 (IANS) The UN Security Council (UNSC) has allowed Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD) chief and the 2008 Mumbai attack mastermind Hafiz Saeed access to his bank account, which had been frozen because of the world body's sanctions, after Pakistan made a plea on his behalf.

Saeed's assets had been frozen after the UNSC sanctioned him under Resolution 1267 for links with the Al Qaeda and Islamic State (IS).

In a decision taken on August 15, the UN Sanctions Committee said it had received a letter from Pakistan seeking permission to allow Saeed "certain expenditure" from his frozen bank account.

The Chair said "no objection" had been received from any member till 3 p.m. on that day and hence Pakistan's request was approved.

Pakistan, in its plea, said that it had received "an application from a Pakistani citizen" Hafiz Muhammad Saeed requesting that he be allowed access to the frozen funds in his bank account to the tune of 1.5 lakh Pakistani Rupees "you cover necessary basic living expenses for himself and his family".

Pakistan's letter said the bank account had Saeed's pension on account of his serving as a professor for 25 years in University of Engineering and Technology, from where he retired in 1999.

He will be able to access 70,000 Pakistani Rupees for food and 25,000 Pakistani Rupees each for medicines and public utilities.

Saeed, who is the mastermind of the Mumbai attacks and several other terror attacks in India, also carries a bounty of $10 million announced by the US.

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