Egypts President El-Sisi to meet Obama in a busy US trip

[Mary Naeem]

Egypts President El-Sisi to meet Obama in a busy US trip

from ahram online

In his first visit to the United States as Egypt's president, Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi has a busy schedule.

El-Sisi is to give a speech on Tuesday at the UN climate summit. On Thursday, he is set to deliver a speech at the UN General Assembly's 69th session.

The Egyptian president is also expected to meet with American President Obama during his trip, according to National Security Council spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden. On Monday he met with former US secretaries of state Henry Kissinger and Madeline Albright, according to presidential spokesperson Alaa Yousef.

El-Sisi and a number of Egyptian officials are conducting several meetings in New York on the sidelines of the UN 69th General Assembly session, to discuss pressing political and economic issues.

The president has met with Jordan's King Abdullah II and is also set to meet with Iraq's new prime minister, HaIdar El-Abadi.

The president has also met with several members of congress as well as the Chairman of the World Economic Forum Klaus Schwab, former US president Bill Clinton and his wife, former Secretary of State Hilary Clinton.

Meanwhile, El-Sisi also met with American businesspeople to present two investment projects, according to supply minister Khaled Hanafy. The meeting also addressed new Egyptian tourism and trade projects in an effort to attract American investment.

In October of last year, Washington withheld the delivery of tanks, fighter aircraft, helicopters and missiles as well as $260 million (LE37.4 million) in cash aid from the Egyptian government, pending what it described as progress in democracy and human rights.

In January, the US congress passed a bill resuming the aid. Last Saturday, the US promised the delivery of ten Apache helicopters in support of Egypt's counterterrorism efforts.

Egypt agreed to be among ten Arab countries supporting the US in a military campaign to fight the Islamic State militants, currently in control of parts of Iraq and Syria.

In an interview during his US visit, El-Sisi warned of terrorism in Libya, Sudan, Yemen as well as Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, adding that development and education were keys to combat militant groups.

Although the Egyptian president announced his support to the US campaign against the Islamic state he was careful to distance Egypt from direct military involvement.

El-Sisi was accompanied by an Egyptian delegation including foreign affairs minister Shoukry, supply minister Hanafy, minister of investment Tarek Salman, former manpower minister and Nasserist figure Kamal Abu Eita, political analyst Emad Gad, former parliamentarian Mohamed Abu Hamed as well as a number of media figures.