Meenakashi Lekhi discusses Ukraine conflict, impact on food, energy with UN General Assembly Prez

United Nations/New York, May 7 (PTI) Minister of State for External Affairs Meenakashi Lekhi has discussed the Ukraine conflict and its impact on food and energy as well as the situation in Afghanistan with the President of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly, Abdulla Shahid, here.

“Had a very fruitful meeting with HE @abdulla_shahid, President of UN General Assembly. Appreciated various initiatives of @UN_PGA. Discussed #Ukraine conflict, including its impact on food, energy, tourism and finance, Afghanistan and Global South,” Lekhi, who arrived in New York from a visit to Chile, tweeted on Friday.

Shahid also tweeted that it was “good to meet” Lekhi. “Discussed various issues on the agenda of #UNGA76 including the impact of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine on the global commodity, financial and energy markets across the world.” During the day, Lekhi also visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art and had an “engaging discussion” with the museum’s senior team on “India-US art and museum collaboration. Thanked them for their support to #AmritMahotsav,” she tweeted, referring to the commemoration of India’s 75th year of Independence.

Later she also addressed a gathering at the Consulate General of India, New York during a storytelling session by actor Jugal Hansraj on his coming of age children’s book ‘The Coward and the Sword.’ Lauding Hansraj for his work, Lekhi underscored the importance of inculcating in young children the habit of reading books, saying that books feed children’s thirst for knowledge and benefit them throughout their lives.

“I definitely believe that reading books and knowing about others, believing in diversity, accepting diversity, especially the country we all come from – India and the region we come from…is a way of celebration because the kind of diversity we exhibit only very few people can exhibit” that the kind of diversity, she said. “When it comes to liberty, human rights… I think the existence of India is the centerpiece and India is a country which is celebrating 75 years of its existence as an independent country in the modern history of mankind is something worth celebrating,” she said.

She added that as India marks the ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, passing on the knowledge of the country’s ancestors to the younger generation that will help them grow and flourish is very important. Hansraj, whose book was released in October last year, said ‘The Coward and the Sword’ has been more than a book and is a labour of love for him. Hansraj, who has been in the movie business for years, said the book was “completely out of the box” for him and he started writing it when his son was born.