President of the General Assembly Mogens Lykketoft (Photo courtesy of UN)
The United Nations (UN) should undertake its responsibilities to reach a fair and comprehensive resolution to the Palestinian issue, Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi stressed to the president of the UN General Assembly during a meeting in Cairo on Saturday.
According to presidency spokesman Alaa Youssef, the General Assembly President Mogens Lykketoft praised Egyptian efforts to resurrect peace efforts between the Palestinian and Israeli sides.
Lykketoft also affirmed the importance of coordinating and promoting international efforts to aid in accomplishing a tangible process to reach a solution.
Earlier on Saturday, El-Sisi met with his Palestinian counterpart Mahmoud Abbas at Itihadiya Palace in Cairo where they discussed the latest regional developments, including the French initiative for a Palestinian-Israeli peace conference and the efforts of the international support group for peace negotiations that will meet in Paris on 3 June.
A number of regional issues and crises were also discussed during the meeting, including Syria and Libya and the methods of strengthening the UN's role to solve these crises.
El-Sisi underlined the importance of promoting international efforts to reach political solutions that would preserve the unity and the sovereignty of those states.
The Egyptian president also highlighted to Lykketoft Egypt's interest in playing a larger role in accomplishing international peace and security, especially in light of Cairo's current membership in the Security Council and the African Union's Peace and Security Council, as well as its participation in peacekeeping operations.
Egypt 2030, domestic issues
El-Sisi stressed the importance of the UN providing a supportive international environment for the implementation of Egypt's developmental 2030 agenda.
The president also presented Egypt's efforts to achieve stability and the introduction of mega projects to develop infrastructure and work opportunities that comply with the goals of sustainable development adopted by the UN.
Lykettoft praised the Egyptian government efforts to move forward “on the path to a democratic transition.”
Lykettoft also expressed his understanding of the major challenges that Egypt faces on regional and domestic levels, and called for its continued support.
El-Sisi further underscored Egypt's keenness to uphold human rights values, adding that the accomplishment of economic development facilitates efforts to bolster social rights including the right to education, work, health, as well political rights.
The UN's Secretary General Ban Ki Moon has on several occassions expressed concerns over reports of human rights violations in Egypt including a series of death sentences meted in 2015 to prisoners accused of violent offences , freedom of expression for journalists, and judicial proceeding against a number of non-governmental organisations.
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