By SHEJI HALIMA
NEW YORK- U.S President, Joe Biden is due to address the 77th General Debate of the UN General Assembly in New York on Wednesday.
In a break with tradition, Biden’s appearance came on the second day of the high-level annual diplomatic event instead of the first, the delay was due to Biden’s attendance of Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral in London on Monday.
Other high-profile world leaders due to address the 193-member assembly on Wednesday include Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and British Prime Minister Liz Truss.
Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky is also due to give a speech on Wednesday, though he would be speaking by video, after a motion allowing him to address the body remotely due to the war in Ukraine was approved by UN member states.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine had overshadowed this year’s speeches so far as well as topping the agenda of many meetings on the event’s sidelines.
UN Secretary General, António Guterres and Brazilian, President Jair Bolsonaro were among those who gave speeches to the General Assembly on Tuesday.
Over 140 heads of state and government were expected to have attended the week-long event by the time it ended on Monday.
Russian President, Vladimir Putin is not attending, however but had sent Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov to represent Moscow instead.(dpa/NAN)
