Palestine rejects US decision to extend entry visa restrictions on its officials
Ramallah, Sept 17 (KUNA) -- The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates expressed on Thursday its rejection of the US State Department’s decision to extend restrictions on issuing entry visas to officials of the Palestinian National Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
In a press statement, the ministry said, “This measure is unjustified and contradicts efforts to restore trust and develop Palestinian-American relations, as well as to create the political climate necessary to implement a two-state solution and achieve peace and stability in the region.”
The ministry added that “the PLO, the legitimate and sole representative of the Palestinian people, and the Palestinian National Authority are committed to peace, to resolutions of international legitimacy, and to a two-state solution based on the June 4, 1967 borders. They also reaffirm their rejection of violence and terrorism, and their adherence to international law and international legitimacy as the basis for addressing the conflict.”
It stressed “the State of Palestine’s rejection of the claim that the Palestinian people’s recourse to the United Nations, the International Court of Justice, and the International Criminal Court constitutes an act that undermines peace,” affirming that resorting to international institutions and international law is a legitimate right of the State of Palestine.
The ministry said that international recognition of the State of Palestine is not a substitute for negotiations, but rather an acknowledgment of the Palestinian people’s inalienable right to self-determination and the embodiment of their independent state, and a support for reaching a just peace based on the two-state solution and international legitimacy.
The ministry pointed to the US statement’s disregard for the “fundamental” reforms that Palestine has implemented, including unifying the social protection system based on social and economic need, and implementing a national reform program in financial, administrative, educational, and legal fields according to clear, transparent, and verifiable mechanisms.
It called on the US administration to evaluate these reforms based on facts and professional reports, rather than on old political claims that do not reflect the measures taken by the Palestinian government.
It affirmed that any restrictions preventing the full participation of its delegation in United Nations meetings constitute an infringement on its rights and on the role of the international organization, and contradict the obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement.
The ministry called on the US administration to reconsider the decision, halt the policy of sanctions and restrictions, and enter into a direct and serious Palestinian-American dialogue to address any issues and resume bilateral relations based on mutual respect.
The US State Department had announced on Wednesday the extension of sanctions prohibiting the issuance of entry visas to members of the PLO and officials of the Palestinian Authority, thereby preventing their participation in the General Assembly meetings of the United Nations in New York. (End) N.Q./Sh.M.A.
