Sisi flies to New York for UN General Assembly

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrived in New York on Sunday for the 72nd session of the United Nations General Assembly, where he will hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump, the Egyptian president’s office said on Saturday.

Dignitaries from 193 nations will gather on Tuesday for a week of speeches and sideline meetings at the annual assembly in the UN headquarters in New York.

Sisi is set to address the gathering with comments on Middle East issues and counter-terrorism efforts, his spokesman Alaa Abdel Fattah said in a statement.

During his visit, Sisi is due to hold talks with Trump, who will be among the summit’s leaders for the first time this year.

Sisi will also hold sideline meetings with top US business and financial executives and members of the Business Council for International Understanding (BCIU) to discuss Egypt’s economic reform program and the country’s investment opportunities.

He will also address the UN Security Council about Egypt’s contribution to UN peacekeeping operations.

Egypt has contributed to 37 UN missions, with over 30,000 peacekeepers deployed in 24 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe.

Egypt is currently serving as the non-permanent member at the UN Security Council representing the Arab world in a two-year term that ends in October 2017.

Source: Ahram online