France denounces US decision of revoking Palestinian representatives' visa to UNGA meet

Paris [France], August 30 (ANI): France's Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said on Saturday that there should be no restrictions on access to next month's UN General Assembly, Al Jazeera reported.

"A UN General Assembly meeting... should not be subject to any restrictions on access," Barrot said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Denmark.

A string of ministers in Copenhagen echoed France's call for the United States to allow access to the Palestinian delegation, as per Al Jazeera.

The extraordinary step by Washington comes as France is leading a push to recognise the Palestinian state at the gathering of world leaders in New York. The move further aligns US President Donald Trump's administration with Israel's government, which is waging a war in Gaza.

Under an agreement as host of the United Nations in New York, the United States is not supposed to refuse visas for officials heading to the world body, as per Al Jazeera.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced on Friday that the US would not issue visas to Palestinian officials to bar them from attending the annual United Nations General Assembly in New York next month.

According to a statement by the US Department of State, the visa ban applies to officials from the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organisation who are not based at the Palestinian mission to the UN.

"In accordance with US law, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is denying and revoking visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly. The Trump Administration has been clear: it is in our national security interests to hold the PLO and PA accountable for not complying with their commitments, and for undermining the prospects for peace," read the statement.

The statement said that the Palestinian Authority must end its affiliation with terrorism and must condemn the same.

"Before the PLO and PA can be considered partners for peace, they must consistently repudiate terrorism -- including the October 7 massacre -- and end incitement to terrorism in education, as required by US law and as promised by the PLO. The PA must also end its attempts to bypass negotiations through international lawfare campaigns, including appeals to the ICC and ICJ, and efforts to secure the unilateral recognition of a conjectural Palestinian state. Both steps materially contributed to Hamas's refusal to release its hostages, and to the breakdown of the Gaza ceasefire talks," added the statement. (ANI)

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