Belgium says US decision to deny visas to Palestinian representatives 'blow to diplomacy'

LONDON

The Belgian foreign minister on Friday expressed regret over the US decision to revoke visas for Palestinian representatives ahead of the UN General Assembly, labelling the move a "blow to diplomacy."

"At a moment when there is a renewed momentum towards a two-state solution ... hindering the Palestinian voice is not only unjust, it is counterproductive,' Maxime Prevot said on US social media company X.

He stressed that the UN must remain a place where all peoples can be heard, "especially those whose future depends on dialogue."

"Excluding Palestinian representatives undermines the very principles of multilateralism and international law," Prevot said, adding that the path to peace demands "more dialogue, not less."

The US decision to deny and revoke visas for Palestinian officials and barring them from attending next month's UN General Assembly in New York comes at a time when several Western countries prepare to recognize a Palestinian state.

"In accordance with U.S. law, Secretary of State Marco Rubio is denying and revoking visas from members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the  Palestinian Authority (PA) ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly," the State Department said in a statement on Friday.