Washington/New York, Sept 20. (dpa/GNA) – UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, on Friday urged the United States to reverse its decision to deny a visa to Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, saying the move could undermine the organization’s “proper functioning.”
Guterres’ spokesman in New York said, he regretted the US decision and was concerned about its implications. “The Secretary-General urges the host country to ensure that visas are issued to all delegations, in accordance with its obligations under the Headquarters Agreement, and will continue to engage with the United States authorities to this end,” his spokesman Stéphane Dujarric said.
The US State Department announced this week that it was extending sanctions that deny visas to representatives of the Palestinian Authority (PA) and members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), citing a lack of reforms by the PA and non-compliance with commitments made to the US.
As a result, Abbas, who heads the PA, is likely to be unable to attend next week’s UN General Assembly in New York.
The PA administers parts of the West Bank, while the PLO is the recognized representative of the Palestinian people at the international level.
The Islamist Hamas movement in the Gaza Strip is part of neither body.
GNA