New York [US], September 24 (ANI): US President Donald Trump met with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York, with both leaders emphasising the critical role of the UN in fostering global peace.

Speaking during the bilateral meeting on Tuesday, Guterres praised the United States as 'essential' to the UN's founding and ongoing operations, expressing gratitude for its political and financial support.

'The United States was absolutely essential in the founding of the UN and for decades we have relied on the United States as our major political and financial support thanks to the American people, which we are very grateful about,' Guterres said.

He lauded Trump's commitment to peace, noting, 'You have selected peace as a central objective of your amendment. You have been going north and south, east and west in all possible situations, getting or trying to get ceasefires, alleviating tensions, making peace agreements or building the blocks of peace agreements.'

The UN chief reaffirmed the organisation's readiness to collaborate with the US, stating, 'The United Nations, from me to our teams on the ground to our mission, is entirely at your disposal to be able to work together for a just peace in the world based on our common values.'

Guterres further emphasised the urgency of addressing the 'horrible suffering of millions of people' globally, expressing appreciation for Trump's engagement in peacebuilding efforts.

In response, President Trump underscored his strong support for the UN's potential to drive global peace.

'It's always an honour to be here... I will tell you that your people have treated us with great respect our country is behind the United Nations 100 per cent,' Trump said.

'I think the potential of the United Nations is incredible, really incredible. It can do so much. I'm behind it. I may disagree with it sometimes, but I am so behind it because I think the potential for peace with this institution is so great,' he added.

The meeting was also attended by US officials Mike Waltz, Marco Rubio, Susie Wiles, and Steve Witkoff.

The high-level debate of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) commenced on Tuesday in New York, with global leaders giving addresses on pressing global issues.

Discussions were dominated by the wars in Gaza and Ukraine, along with the growing Western recognition of Palestinian statehood.

This year's theme is 'Better together: 80 years and more for peace, development and human rights.' (ANI)