India held discussions with Russia and Iran on the margins of the high-level UN General Assembly session, days after U.S. President Donald Trump signed a new law on sanctions on countries purchasing oil and gas from Moscow and Tehran.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met his counterparts from Iran and Russia, with discussions ranging from bilateral issues, cooperation in the BRICS grouping and the Gulf conflict.
In this image posted on Sept. 25, 2026, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov, on the sidelines of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly (UNGA 81), in New York. Photo: @MID_RF/X via PTI Photo
Mr. Jaishankar met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov and discussed bilateral issues as well as cooperation in the BRICS grouping.
“A good meeting with FM Sergey Lavrov of Russia today #UNGA81. Exchanged views on a number of ongoing issues. Also took stock of our bilateral and BRICS cooperation,” Jaishankar said, referring to the grouping of Brazil, China, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.
India had earlier this month hosted the BRICS Leaders’ Summit that was attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian.
A readout of the one-on-one meeting between Mr. Jaishankar and Mr. Lavrov provided by the Russian Foreign Affairs Ministry said that the two leaders discussed “key issues of Russian-Indian cooperation, the schedule of upcoming bilateral contacts, and current regional and global issues, including the Ukraine crisis and the situation in the Middle East”.
They expressed their intention to continue efforts to strengthen the “special and privileged strategic partnership” and to maintain close coordination at the UN, in the G20, BRICS, and other international groupings.
Mr. Jaishankar also met Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi on the margins of the high-level UNGA session in New York Friday.
“Appreciate the conversation with FM @araghchi of Iran at the @UN #UNGA81. We discussed the latest developments with regard to the Gulf conflict. Will continue to be in touch,” he said.
Last week, Mr. Trump signed the ‘Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026’, which authorises and expands statutory sanctions, tariffs, and prohibitions on Russia and extends existing sanctions on Iran.
India has said it remains firmly committed to ensuring energy security for its 1.4 billion people, and it will continue to do so through diversified sourcing, in response to the US’ Russia sanctions legislation.
The Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act authorises Mr. Trump to impose sanctions on Russia and steep tariffs on its trading partners such as India and China in the oil and gas sector.
Continuing another busy day of engagements at the UN, Mr. Jaishankar co-chaired the India-Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Troika Ministerial Meeting in New York on the margins of the UNGA.
He reviewed the progress of the India-GCC Joint Action Plan 2024–28 and discussed ways to further advance the partnership.
India welcomed the launch of India-GCC free trade agreement negotiations. “Look forward to strengthening ties in the areas of trade, investment, energy, food security, health, new technologies, culture and people-to-people exchanges. Thanked GCC leaderships for the support extended to the Indian community.”
India also reiterated its strong commitment to freedom of navigation and safety of seafarers and commercial shipping.
Mr. Jaishankar co-chaired an event ‘AI in the Context of International Peace & Security, with an Emphasis on Maritime Security’, alongside Greek Foreign Minister George Gerapetritis.
In a post on X, Mr. Jaishankar said he emphasised the need to harness the possibilities offered by AI, anticipate its consequences and mitigate its risks.
“This calls for an approach that enables innovation while remaining conscious of its security implications,” he said. He shared that the New Delhi Declaration emphasises democratic access to AI resources, building secure and trustworthy systems, investing in human capabilities and harnessing AI for economic growth and social good.
In the maritime domain, AI can enhance maritime domain awareness, search and rescue, disaster response, identification of suspicious activity and resilience of ports and critical infrastructure, he said.
At the same time, it can enable sophisticated reconnaissance, vulnerability mapping and cyber operations targeting vessels, communication networks and undersea infrastructure, he added.
Mr. Jaishankar underlined that increasing autonomy in maritime systems raises questions of attribution, accountability and escalation, while also compressing decision-making time.
He pointed out that in the maritime domain, the UN Charter and international law, including the law of the sea, remain essential frameworks governing State conduct.
“Greater transparency, confidence-building, capacity development, technical cooperation and exchange of best practices are essential to ensure that AI is developed and used consistent with these principles,” he said.
Published – September 26, 2026 11:16 am IST
