In New York, Sisi to call for world unity against terrorism

Taha Aly Ahmed

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrived in New York yesterday to attend the 73rd United Nations General Assembly meetings, amid warm welcome from Egyptians living in the American city.

The president's participation in the meetings will highlight Egypt's view on world developments.

The Egyptian president participated in the General Assembly meetings in the past four years, during which he held 64 bilateral summit talks with world leaders.

This makes Sisi the first Egyptian president to participate that intensely in the world event since the founding of the UN in 1945.

Addressing the UN General Assembly in the past four years, the president was keen to underscore Egyptian views on international events and also explain Egyptian positions toward developments at the local, regional and international levels, especially toward terrorism and the conflicts that continue to rage on in the Middle East region.

The president is also always keen on throwing light on Egyptian expertise in dealing with important issues, including international terrorism and illegal immigration. Egypt wages a military and intellectual war against terrorism, turning into a role model for many countries.

Sisi met a huge number of important international figures in the course of his participation in the UN General Assembly meetings, including former US president Barack Obama in 2014. Talks with the former US president dwelt on the situation in Libya, the Syrian crisis and the war in Yemen.

In 2015, the president also met a host of influential US opinion leaders, including Henry Kissinger and Denis Ross.

In 2016, the president met then-US presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton and then-presidential candidate Donald Trump. He also met a large number of American corporation heads.

In 2017, President Sisi held summit talks with his US counterpart Donald Trump.

President Sisi is always keen on meeting the President of the World Bank Jim Yong Kim, showing that the economy is always on the agenda of his outside visits.

This time, the president is expected to focus in his speech to the UN General Assembly on Egypt's national projects, the war on terrorism and possibly a reference to rejecting reconciliation with the Muslim Brotherhood.

The Palestinian cause is also expected to feature highly in the president's speech. President Sisi is also expected to focus in his speech on efforts made by Egypt to bring Palestinian factions closer together.