Biden, Sisi Pledge to Confront Climate Crisis

President El-Sisi receives his US counterpart Biden in Sharm El-Sheikh yesterday.
President El-Sisi receives his US counterpart Biden in Sharm El-Sheikh yesterday.
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Biden, Sisi Pledge to Confront Climate Crisis

President El-Sisi receives his US counterpart Biden in Sharm El-Sheikh yesterday.
President El-Sisi receives his US counterpart Biden in Sharm El-Sheikh yesterday.

US President Joe Biden held bilateral talks on Friday with President Abdul Fatah El-Sisi on the margins of the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 27) in Sharm El Sheikh, Egypt.

Bassam Rady, the official spokesman for the Egyptian presidency, said that Sisi stressed during his meeting with Biden "the extended strategic partnership between the two countries, and its pivotal role in supporting security and stability in the Middle East.”

For his part, Biden valued the strong and deep Egyptian-US relations and confirmed that the US considers Egypt a strong and reliable friend and ally in the region.

The White House announced in a statement that the two presidents affirmed their commitment to addressing the climate crisis.

Before meeting Sisi, Biden delivered a speech at the Conference.

He pledged that the United States is “on track” to achieve its pledge of cutting emissions by 2030, calling on the countries of the world to do more to face the "climate crisis" that "threatens life on the planet".

Biden delivered a speech at the 27th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP27), in which he linked the climate crisis to human economy and security.

He said climate change is about human security, national security, and life on the planet as a whole. "Good climate policies are good economic policies," he added.



Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
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Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday that the state will begin disarming southern Lebanon, particularly the south Litani region, to establish its presence across the country.
"We are in a new phase - in this new phase, we will start with south Lebanon and south Litani specifically in order to pull weapons so that the state can be present across Lebanese territory," Mikati said.

Mikati's remarks followed a meeting with newly elected President Joseph Aoun at the Baabda Presidential Palace. Aoun was elected as the country's new head of state by parliament on Thursday, ending a vacancy in the presidency that had persisted for over two years.

In his address to parliament, Aoun pledged to control weapons outside the state's control, saying the government is the sole entity authorized to possess and use military force and weapons.
A ceasefire agreement that ended the 13-month-conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in November has given the Lebanese party 60 days to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli forces are also required to withdraw from the area over the same period.
The ceasefire agreement says Israeli forces will move south of the Blue Line “in a phased manner” within 60 days. The Lebanese army’s troops will deploy “in parallel” to the positions.