Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi asserted on Wednesday Egypt's firm stand on the necessity of adopting an integrated international approach to address the causes of growing illegal immigration and refugees, the president's office said.
During his meeting with President of the United Nations General Assembly Maria Fernanda Espinosa Garces, the president said: "the international approach should include the adoption of economic, developmental, political, cultural and humanitarian measures."
Sisi stressed the importance of focusing also on the developmental approach, not just giving the priority to security solutions.
The UN General Assembly chairperson lauded Egypt's crucial role as the main pillar of peace and stability in the Middle East -- she expressed keenness on reaching a political settlement to all crises in the region.
Espinosa stated that she values Egypt's active participation in various activities of the United Nations and international multilateral forums as well as the country's efforts to defend the issues of African and developing countries, especially within the framework of its current chairmanship of the African Union.
On another level, Sisi met US Senator Lindsey Graham in Cairo and affirmed efforts aiming to settle the Palestinian-Israeli conflict must proceed in line with international terms of reference, the two-state solution, and the Arab Peace Initiative.
The president asserted Cairo's support for the various efforts that aim at activating the peace process and resuming negotiations in a way that maintains the Palestinian people’s rights and hopes to establish an independent state with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Sisi also affirmed that the settlement of the Palestinian cause will change the current reality in the region and open up prospects for a new stage of security, progress, and peaceful coexistence among peoples of the region.
