CAIRO, Sept 27 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt's economic reforms reflect the country's "insistence" on achieving comprehensive development in parallel with upholding security, Egypt's president Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said in talks in New York on Saturday.   

Sisi told World Bank President Jim Yong Kim that the Middle East "needs to achieve stability through development," state news agency MENA reported.

He added that the World Bank's contribution to advancing the region does not only have a humanitarian dimension, but must also contribute to achieving security and stemming unrest. 

Sisi is currently leading Egypt's delegation in the 70th UN General Assembly meeting and has kept a busy schedule, holding talks with state leaders, the heads of US investment funds, asset management companies and international agencies. 

He attended a high level roundtable on South-South cooperation co-chaired by China and the United Nations during which he said that cooperation between developing countries must take up an "increasing share" of international economic cooperation.

The Egyptian president added that funding and technology transfer must be provided to developing countries to overcome obstacles to development. 

Sisi also held bi-lateral talks with Uruguayan and Serbian counterparts to discuss mutual cooperation.

On Saturday, he called for the Palestinian Authority's "return to Gaza" to supervise the border crossings during talks with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, also on the sidelines of the UNGA meeting.

Sisi told Abbas that the measures Egypt is taking to secure its eastern borders do not aim to harm Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, MENA reported. The purpose is to protect Egypt's borders and to contribute to preserving Egyptian and Palestinian national security.  

In a speech at the Sustainable Development Summit on Friday, Sisi said the international community must react swiftly to obstacles to sustainable development, especially terrorism.

Later today, Sisi is slated to meet UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, before holding talks with his Senegali counterpart and the prime ministers of Ethiopia and the Netherlands.