Sisi Travels to Budapest to Participate in Visegrad Summit

In this June 1, 2016, file photo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks during a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt. (AP)
In this June 1, 2016, file photo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks during a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt. (AP)
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Sisi Travels to Budapest to Participate in Visegrad Summit

In this June 1, 2016, file photo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks during a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt. (AP)
In this June 1, 2016, file photo, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi speaks during a press conference with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the presidential palace in Cairo, Egypt. (AP)

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi arrived in Budapest on Monday to participate in the Visegrad Group (V4) summit. The V4 comprises the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia.

This is the second time since 2017 that Egypt participates in the summit.

Presidential Spokesman Bassam Radi said Egypt’s participation reveals the keenness to develop relations and address issues of mutual concern.

He added that the visit also reflects the deeply rooted ties between Cairo and Budapest.

Radi said the summit is expected to tackle a host of issues, including Egypt's role in the Middle East, cooperation in combating terrorism, illegal migration and energy security.

The talks will also address means of promoting trade, investment and tourism relations along with means to develop cooperation between Egypt and European Union countries, which are members of the Visegrad bloc.

The spokesman noted that Sisi is scheduled to hold talks with senior Hungarian officials, including President Janos Ader and Prime Minister Viktor Orban, on ways of bolstering political and economic ties, as well as international and regional cooperation.

The Visegrad Group was formed in 1991.

According to the State Information Service, Egypt was the first Middle Eastern and African country to take part in the summit.



UNICEF: At Least One Child Killed in Lebanon Every Day Since Oct. 4

A girl walks inside a school turned into a shelter housing displaced people who fled from Baalbek and surrounding areas, in Deir Al-Ahmar, Lebanon (Reuters)
A girl walks inside a school turned into a shelter housing displaced people who fled from Baalbek and surrounding areas, in Deir Al-Ahmar, Lebanon (Reuters)
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UNICEF: At Least One Child Killed in Lebanon Every Day Since Oct. 4

A girl walks inside a school turned into a shelter housing displaced people who fled from Baalbek and surrounding areas, in Deir Al-Ahmar, Lebanon (Reuters)
A girl walks inside a school turned into a shelter housing displaced people who fled from Baalbek and surrounding areas, in Deir Al-Ahmar, Lebanon (Reuters)

The ongoing war in Lebanon between Hezbollah and Israel is upending children’s lives, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Thursday, adding that at least one child has been killed daily in the country over the past month.
“Since October 4th of this year, at least one child has been killed and 10 injured daily,” it said in a statement.
UNICEF said thousands more children who have survived the many months of constant bombings physically unscathed, are now acutely distressed by the violence and chaos around them, according to AFP.
Since September 23, Israeli warplanes have launched violent strikes on a number of areas in southern Lebanon, the Beqaa in eastern Lebanon and the southern suburbs of Beirut.
The raids also extended to the capital, Beirut, Mount Lebanon and the north of the country.
On Oct. 1, the Israeli army launched a ground operation across its northern border into Lebanon targeting Hezbollah.