NEW DELHI: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will not attend the upcoming session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

Instead, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will represent India at the global forum.

Diplomatic sources confirmed that Jaishankar will address the assembly and hold bilateral meetings on behalf of the Indian government during the high-level session in New York.

This comes amid tariff tensions between India and the United States after President Donald Trump imposed ‘punitive’ levies on New Delhi for purchasing oil from Russia amid the Ukraine war.

An earlier list released in July had slated PM Modi to speak on September 26, a day when the heads of government of Israel, China, Pakistan and Bangladesh are scheduled to address the Assembly.

The change means PM Modi will not share the UNGA stage this year with leaders he has frequently encountered on international platforms.