FOCUS — EU urges US to reconsider visa refusal for Palestinian delegation

BRUSSELS, Sept 19 /ATSH-AA/ — The European Union (EU) has called on the United States to reconsider its decision to refuse visas to members of the Palestinian delegation ahead of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly in New York.

The European External Action Service (EEAS) said it regrets the decision to keep refusing visas for a second consecutive year.

“Taking into account the existing agreements with the UN regarding its headquarters and US obligations as host country, we call on the US to reconsider this decision,” said Anouar El Anouni, the EEAS spokesperson for EU Foreign Affairs and Security Policy.

The statement comes ahead of the annual high-level session of the UN General Assembly, scheduled to be held next week in New York.

For the second year in a row, the US administration has kept in place visa restrictions on senior Palestinian officials, including Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

On September 17, the UN General Assembly adopted by 152 votes in favor and 3 against a resolution allowing President Abbas to address the upcoming session via video link, after the US refused him a visa.

The resolution was adopted ahead of the 81st session of the UN General Assembly.