Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee began a round of discussions with world leaders on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly session in New York on Wednesday by meeting North Atlantic Treaty Organisation Secretary-General Jaap de Hoop Schefer.

Details were not immediately available, but sources said they discussed international issues with particular focus on the Middle East during their half-an-hour meeting.

Mukherjee is in New York to represent India at the UNGA session where New Delhi will make a strong pitch for early establishment of an international convention to combat terrorism.

New Delhi will also push for reform of the world body, particularly that of the Security Council, and vouch for global nuclear disarmament.

Amid growing global concerns over terrorism, India will seek early establishment of a UN convention on combating the scourge and emphasise that there should be no selective approaches with regard to the problem.

India views the developments along Afghanistan's "south and south-east border" (Pakistan) as "disturbing" and will try to ensure that the UN maintains its focus on curbing the activities there that pose a threat to the entire world.