Kathmandu, August 9. Indian prime minister Narendra Modi will be chairing the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) session on August 9. He is the first prime minister to do so.

A debate will be held upon which maritime security will be discussed. India has presented a concept note ahead of the meeting; while statements of the briefers and Council members will be broadcasted live, while non-Council members will have the opportunity to submit their statements in writing.

Indian PM Modi also had tweeted through his Twitter handle that he will be chairing the session. The topic would be ‘Enhancing Maritime Security A Case for International Cooperation’ and will be held in 5:30 pm IST.

The meeting will be attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin, Democratic Republic of Congo President Felix-Antoine Tshisekedi Tshilombo and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.

Many other leaders are expected to participate in today’s meeting which includes Deputy Prime Minister of Niger Hassoumi Massoudou, President of Kenya Uhuru Kenyatta and Prime Minister of Vietnam Pham Minh Chinh.

A statement released by the Indian prime minister’s office read, “The meeting is expected to be attended by several heads of state & government of member states of the United Nations Security Council, and high level briefers from the UN System and key regional organizations. The Open Debate will focus on ways to effectively counter maritime crime and insecurity and strengthened coordination in the maritime domain.”

India is keen on stressing upon the issue of international cooperation upon the issue of maritime security as PM Modi had put forward the vision- SAGAR – an acronym for ‘Security and Growth for all in the Region’ in 2015. The vision focuses on cooperative measures for sustainable use of the oceans, and provides a framework for a safe, secure, and stable maritime domain in the region.