The UN General Assembly opened today in New York. The annual gathering of world leaders will see 116 heads of state and government leaders meeting in New York. This year discussions will be dominated by the civil war raging in Syria as well as the heightened tensions between Israel and Iran. Also on the agenda is the continued economic crisis in Europe.
On Tuesday President Obama will address the assembly as well as the Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy, and French President Francois Hollande. Wednesday will see the controversial Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in past years his speeches have seen mass walk outs of delegates, appalled by his hate-filled rhetoric. On Thursday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas will both be speaking. Last year the issue of Palestinian statehood was on the agenda, however it is believed this year the matter will be sidelined.
The gathering ends on Monday October 1st. The week will allow meetings of different delegates to discuss in detail the Middle East issues as well as the economic problems facing the world.