EU urges US to reconsider UN summit visa denial for Palestinians

EU urges US to reconsider UN summit visa denial for Palestinians

Kaja Kallas called on Washington to reverse the move, citing international law amid US-Israel alignment in Gaza.

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas holds a press conference after an informal EU foreign ministers’ meeting in Copenhagen. (EPA Images pic)
COPENHAGEN:
The EU wants the US to reconsider its decision to deny visas to Palestinian officials seeking to attend next month’s UN General Assembly, the bloc’s top diplomat said Saturday.

“In light of the existing agreements between the UN and its host state, we all urge for this decision to be reconsidered,” Kaja Kallas said on Saturday following a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen.

Kallas invoked “international law” in calling for Washington to reverse the extraordinary step, which further aligns US President Donald Trump’s administration with Israel’s government as it wages war in Gaza.

The US move comes as France is leading a push to recognise the Palestinian state at the gathering of world leaders in New York – and France’s foreign minister Jean-Noel Barrot spoke out in protest ahead of the Denmark talks.

“A UN General Assembly meeting… should not be subject to any restrictions on access,” Barrot told reporters.

A string of ministers in Copenhagen echoed France’s call for the US to allow access to the Palestinian delegation.

The Palestinian Authority has likewise called for the US to reverse its decision, which it said “stands in clear contradiction to international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement”.

Palestinian Authority president Mahmud Abbas, a veteran 89-year-old leader who once had cordial relations with Washington, had planned to attend the UN meeting.

Under an agreement as host of the UN in New York, the US is not supposed to refuse visas for officials heading to the world body.

Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram

Subscribe to our newsletter and get news delivered to your mailbox.