President Sisi’s activities in 72nd UNGA session

CAIRO – 20 September 2017: President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi is currently participating in the United Nations General Assembly 72nd session. Here is a quick look at the president’s activities on the sidelines of the annual international assembly.


President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi attends the 72 UNGA session

Highlights of the president’s speech to the U.N. General Assembly:

President Sisi started off by confirming Egypt’s sincere commitment to the internationally recognized U.N. values, as well as its full adherence to the anti-terrorism strategy, which is not only confined to the military solution, but also incorporates fighting terrorism on a cultural, educational and religious front.


UNGA 72nd session

“There is no room for double standards in combating terrorism; a system that fights terrorism, while tolerating its supporters and simultaneously engaging them in the discussions on how to eliminate a threat they created in the first place,” Sisi said.


President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and UN Secretary General at the UNSC session

On Syria, Sisi said that there would be no salvation for Syria except through a consensual political solution amongst all Syrians at the core of which is the preservation of the unity of the Syrian state and the maintenance of its state institutions. Sisi said the way out lies in the U.N.-led negotiation process supported by Egypt.

Regarding Libya, Sisi said, “Egypt will not allow the continuation of attempts to meddle with the unity and integrity of the Libyan state and will continue to work diligently with the United Nations to achieve a political settlement based on the Skhirat Agreement."


President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi l at the UNSC session

In a first-of-its-kind initiative, President Sisi called on the Israelis and Palestinians to trust their leaderships and to follow the example set by Egypt and Israel, urging the Palestinians to unite.


Side Talk between President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and King Abdullah of Jordan
He emphasized that security in the region is based on ending the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and he addressed Palestinians by saying that it is important to believe in statehood alongside an Israeli state.

Mutual high-profile side meetings:

On the sidelines of the 72nd session, President Sisi met with King Abdullah II of Jordan, U.S. President Donald Trump and U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef said.


Side Talk between President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and U.S. President Donald Trump

Also, he held talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and the U.N. Secretary General. The meetings covered files of common interests, including bilateral relations, the situation in the Middle East and efforts exerted to combat terrorism.

On Tuesday the president also met with President of the European Council Donald Tusk in New York on the side of the U.N. General Assembly session.

The meeting covered Egyptian-European cooperation and issues of mutual concern, including ways to curb illegal immigration and fighting terrorism.

President Sisi interviewed by FOX News:

FOX news anchor Sean Hannity began his interview with Sisi by praising his “courage” in raising the idea that Islam needs a “religious revolution.”

Asked for further elaboration, Sisi said that he was talking about the misconceptions and ideas adopted by some people that led to wide scale extremism, and that he has “reiterated the significance of revolutionizing the religious speech and consecutively filtering the misconceptions and misinterpretations [of Islam].”

“Extremist ideas are not the only evil; organizations that follow radical ideologies are also evil. We all need to confront this in the Arab Islamic world and on the international front as well,” Sisi said in response, adding that we need to adopt a comprehensive strategy that is not only confined to military solutions, but incorporates fighting terrorism on the economic, cultural and educational fronts.

In response to a question on whether or not the United States should designate the Muslim Brotherhood as a terrorist group, Sisi replied that the U.S. is a great country that has its own respected perspective, and that it may take some time for them to recognize terrorist groups and their impact on the whole world.

President Sisi’s speech to the Security Council:

President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi gave a speech Wednesday at the U.N. Security Council for Peacekeeping Operations session, saying that peacekeeping operations “are not a substitute for preventive diplomacy.”

In his speech, Sisi welcomed the adoption of a peacekeeping draft resolution as a step on “the right path.”

He further called for the enforcement of an agreement enhancing peace signed by the United Nations and African Union last April. He also emphasized the importance of respecting political and social privacy of countries witnessing conflicts.

He added that Egypt has been one of the pioneer participating states in the peacekeeping operations in Congo.

"Egypt continues its regional and international role in achieving peace and security through its participation in international organizations," he said.