Thin Middle East agenda accompanies Joe Biden’s first UNGA

US president is not scheduled to meet any regional leaders in New York but will tout ending war in Afghanistan in speech on Tuesday

US President Joe Biden will arrive in New York later on Monday to participate in the 76th UN General Assembly, where he will push his agenda of ending wars and boosting multilateral co-operation and intensive diplomacy.

Mr Biden’s trip to the UNGA, his first as president, stands in stark contrast with those of his predecessors. Gone will be Donald Trump’s confrontational language, Barack Obama’s reconciliatory approach and George W Bush’s emphasis on war on terror.

Instead, Mr Biden will be highlighting a foreign policy driven by domestic considerations that at the same time prioritises diplomacy.

On Monday night, the US president will meet Secretary General Antonio Guterres for their first in-person meeting. Mr Biden is then scheduled to address the UNGA early on Tuesday.

A senior US official said Mr Biden’s decision to end the war in Afghanistan will be the focus of his speech.

“The speech will centre on the proposition that we are closing the chapter on 20 years of war and opening a chapter of intensive diplomacy by rallying allies and partners and institutions to deal with the major challenges of our time,” the official said.

He added that the new path will be defined by working with allies to solve problems that cannot be resolved through military force.

Members of BTS walk near the United Nations headquarters during the 76th United Nations General Assembly in Manhattan, New York. Reuters

BTS members speak at the Sustainable Development Goals event as part of the UN General Assemby. Reuters

RM speaks at the Sustainable Development Goals meeting during the 76th session of the United Nations General Assembly. AP Photo

Members of BTS speak during the 76th United Nations General Assembly. AP Photo

The group's speech lasted for roughly seven minutes and covered environmental issues as well as shared words of encouragement for the younger generation. AP Photo

The group also confirmed that all seven members have been fully vaccinated. AP Photo

Members of BTS descend an elevator at United Nations headquarters. EPA

BTS arrive at security check-in at the United Nations headquarters during the 76th UN General Assembly, in New York. Reuters

The group also shared a special music video filmed for 'Permission to Dance' around the General Assembly Hall and UN Headquarters. AP Photo

And on the issue of fighting terrorism, the US official said the president would signal a “modern approach".

The official pointed to the domestic themes that will be part of Mr Biden’s speech, including infrastructure, the Covid-19 pandemic and emerging technologies.

The US president will also address the subject of trade, emphasising that global commerce is a “vigorous competition with great powers, but not a new Cold War".

With the exception of Yemen, the US official did not mention any Middle Eastern issues on Mr Biden’s agenda. His announced bilateral meetings do not include any with regional leaders attending the UNGA, such as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Iraqi President Barham Salih and Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett.

But US Secretary of State Antony Blinken will be meeting his regional counterparts in New York, including the foreign ministers of Turkey and Egypt, and he will host a Gulf Co-operation Council round-table on Thursday.

Reem Al Hashimi, UAE Minister of State for International Co-operation, is expected to attend that meeting, along with the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and others.

Mr Biden will stay for one night in New York, where on Tuesday he will meet Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Back in Washington, he will host British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday evening, and India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japan’s outgoing Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Friday.

UN headquarters, centre, on the New York City skyline. AFP

The White House is also holding a Covid-19 summit on Wednesday, in which the administration will place “heavy emphasis on international institutions, the private sector, non-governmental organisations - all of the actors who collectively have the capacity to beat Covid-19,” a senior US official said.

The goal is “to end this pandemic much more rapidly than if we allow for things to unfold without the kind of focus, sustained energy and effort that is required".

On Monday, the US announced its plans to remove Covid-19 travel restrictions placed on the UK and EU. The move is likely to lower recent tension between Europe and the US over Afghanistan and the defence deal with Australia, which has angered French President Emmanuel Macron.

The White House said that Mr Biden has requested a phone call with his French counterpart.

“The president wants to communicate his desire to work closely with France in the Indo-Pacific and globally,” a senior US official said three days after Paris recalled its ambassador from Washington.

On Wednesday, Mr Blinken will meet the foreign ministers of France, Germany and the UK to address some of these concerns.