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World leaders are gathering for the U.N. General Assembly. From Dilma Rousseff to Mahmoud Abbas, see who will be in attendance.
Clockwise from top right: AP Photo (2); Getty Images (2)
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff will make history on Sept. 21 when she becomes the first woman to deliver opening remarks at the U.N. General Assembly. Rousseff, who is also the first female president of Brazil, is expected to discuss sustainable development, climate change, human rights, and the need to reform the U.N. Security Council.
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The U.S. president has a packed week planned at the U.N., meeting with various heads of state and hosting a number of meetings. But his biggest moment will come on Wednesday morning, when he gives a speech to the General Assembly. The speech will touch on Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, non-proliferation, and the Arab Spring. As for the Israel-Palestinian conflict, Obama plans to “express our support for a negotiated two-state solution between the parties,” according to National Security adviser Ben Rhodes.
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The French president, who was involved in ousting Muammar Gaddafi from power in Libya, will meet with President Obama while the two are at the U.N., and Libya is virtually certain to be a topic for discussion. Sarkozy is also scheduled to meet with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on Tuesday, though the French position remains that Israel and Palestine should resume peace negotiations. He is also set to address the General Assembly on Wednesday.
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The president of Afghanistan will meet with President Obama on Tuesday. It will be their first meeting since Obama announced his plans to begin the U.S. troop withdrawal in June. They are expected to discuss plans for the transition, as well as plans for U.S. Afghan strategic cooperation after completion of the withdrawal in 2014. Karzai is also scheduled to address the General Assembly on Wednesday.
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Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is scheduled to address the General Assembly on Sept. 22, and although the topic of his speech is the regional upheaval in the Middle East, he is expected to make a series of anti-Semitic and other outrageous remarks. Last year, Ahmadinejad’s claims that “some segments in the U.S. government orchestrated” 9/11, caused many U.N. delegates to walk out during his speech in protest.
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Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas caused controversy when he announced his plan to ask the Security Council to vote on Palestinian membership, despite warnings from almost all corners against it. Abbas admitted that he is under “tremendous pressure” to drop the bid and the move is almost certain to be vetoed by the U.S. Abbas is scheduled to give a speech to the General Assembly on Friday. Interestingly, while President Obama plans to meet with Benjamin Netanyahu while in New York, he has no plans to meet with Abbas.
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The Israeli prime minister will address the General Assembly on Friday, Sept. 23, the same day that the Palestinians plan to submit their statehood bid. Netanyahu told reporters that he plans to “convey the twin messages of direct negotiations for peace and the quest for peace,” as he explains why the bid should be rejected. He is also scheduled to meet with President Obama during the week.
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On Monday, Sept. 26, an unnamed Syrian representative will likely speak to the General Assembly to discuss and explain the repressive crackdown of protests that has taken place under the Assad regime.
Remy de la Mauviniere / AP Photo