Last week, President El-Sisi attended the 71st UN general assembly session, held in New York. The main objective of attending the session lies within the Egyptian government firm belief that the international cooperation is important to find solution for regional political crisis, along with addressing economic, developmental and social issues.
President El-Sisi attended a number of significant meetings, among them is the UN Security Council summit discussing the current situation in the Middle East which mainly focused on the Syrian crisis. In addition, he attended a high-profile meeting about refugees and migrants to address effective solutions to these problems.
El-Sisi headed the African Peace and Security Council, held on the margins of the UN general assembly, to address the current situation in South Sudan. Moreover, El-Sisi will head the meeting of the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC), held to discuss the outcomes of Paris Agreement Summit on climate change and prepare for the next summit’s session that will be held in November in Marrakesh.
President El-Sisi, in his statement in the 71st UN general assembly session, said that the government should be supported to guarantee sustainable development, especially in domains like social protection networks, stressing on the significance of creating a global financial system that can achieve economic justice among countries, offer equal development opportunities and fill the gap among developed and developing countries.
He explained the Egyptian citizens are determined to achieve stability, protect their country, from being driven towards chaos. The government has approved a new constitution that protects freedom and rights, complying with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. As for the economic regard, Egypt is moving forward in its ambitious plan to apply economic reforms and provide welfare for the Egyptian citizens. Furthermore, national projects are under progress to expand the roads network, establish power stations, develop the infrastructure and industrial capabilities and expand the agriculture lands.
Egypt’s president called for finding solutions for the political conflict in Syria, Israeli-Arab conflict and Yemen and Libya crises, highlighting that most of the Arab conflicts are a reflection of the global conflicts. He said that Egypt rejects foreign interference in Arab countries domestic affairs.
Furthermore, El-Sisi asserted that Egypt is exerting its efforts to counter terrorism. El-Sisi has also urged countries to support Somalia’s government and help achieve stability in South Sudan.
President El-Sisi concluded his statement by urging the world’s nations to cooperate, share science, knowledge, technology and unit to face threats.
Egypt’s president attended a high-profile meeting about refugees and migrants to address effective solutions to the problem of refugees. The meeting’s objective is to counter human trafficking, migrants and refugees smuggling and help victims of human trafficking, and those who suffer from any form of mistreat. El-Sisi made a statement in the meeting to express Egypt’s viewpoint on the refugees problem as the government is exerting its efforts to maximise the benefits of legal migration, counter smuggling of migrants, and make new regulations to punish criminals and compensate victims.
President El-Sisi attended a meeting in which the French President Hollande urged to follow up Africa Renewable Energy Initiative, in the presence of a number of African countries’ presidents and representatives of international financing institutions. El-Sisi participated in the meeting as he is heading the Committee of African Heads of State and Government on Climate Change (CAHOSCC).
President El-Sisi made a statement, which addressed the favourable trend towards the dependency on renewable energy, which would not only achieve sustainable development but also support the efforts to have sufficient energy resources and face the negative consequence of climate change. It is worthy to note that renewable energy production cost is very low, especially wind power and solar energy which contributes to the welfare of African countries and best usage of their resources.
El-Sisi attended the UN general assembly summit addressing the situation in the Middle East and Syria, in the presence of the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, and made a statement to stress on the necessity of solving the Syrian crisis and eradicating terrorism. He called for finding practical solution to stop the war in Syria after five years of failure to reach a solution.
President El-Sisi urged Staffan de Mistura, the Italian diplomat, to invite concerned parties for negotiations in order to agree on a solution to the crisis. El-Sisi said that Egypt’s vision is based on two main points: First, to maintain the unity of Syria and preserve the country’s establishments; Second, to respect the Syrian citizens hopes in re-establishing their country through finding a solution that satisfy all parties.
During his visit, Egypt’s president attended several bilateral meetings with a number of presidents, leaders and international officials. El-Sisi met the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, the French President Hollande, UK Prime Minister Theresa May, Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider Jawad Kadhim Al-Abadi, King of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Prime Minister Tammam Saeb Salam, President of Cyprus Nicos Anastasiades, Austria Chancellor Christian Kern, President of the European Council Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of Malta Joseph Muscat, President of the Republic of Macedonia Gjorge Ivanov and Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Cioloș.
Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump holds a bilateral meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi in Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 19, 2016. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri
El-Sisi was also keen to strengthen the Egyptian-American bilateral relations. He met with media officials and representatives from the American Chamber of Commerce and Business Council for international Understanding, along with meeting some of US elites to address the ways in which Egypt can strengthen its strategic relations with the US.
Finally President El-Sisi met Hillary Clinton, the Democratic US presidential candidate, as he stressed on the strategic and historic relations between the US and Egypt, and the importance of pushing cooperation further to serve both the American and Egyptian citizens, which would achieve stability and security in the Middle East.
President El-Sisi has also met Donald Trump, Republican presidential candidate, to address strategic bilateral relations between Egypt and the US, related to political, military and economic matters. Trump expressed his appreciation to the Egyptian president and citizens for their great efforts in defending their country and fighting terrorism, pointing out his full support to Egypt’s efforts in countering terrorism.
El-Sisi discusses investment opportunities with the American Chamber of Commerce delegation President El-Sisi met a delegation of the American Chamber of Commerce on the margins of his participation in 71st UN general assembly summit.
Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton (L) and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (R) speak through an interpreter before a meeting at the Palace Hotel on September 19, 2016 in New York. / AFP PHOTO / Brendan Smialowski
The delegation included a number of the largest American companies and prominent officials such as: General James Jones, former United States National Security Advisor, chairmen of Cargill, Apache, Pfizer, International Business Machines (IBM) and Bloomberg.
Anis A. Aclimandos, President of the American Chamber of Commerce in Cairo, Omar Mihana, President of the U.S.-Egypt Business Council (USEBC) and Hisham Fahmy, CEO of the American Chamber of Commerce in Washington, attended the meeting.
Dalia Khourshid, Egyptian Minister of Investment, attended the meeting in which investments opportunities in Egypt for foreign investors and national projects under progress, were addressed in the meeting.