Copenhagen – Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon has criticized the U.S. decision to deny visas to Palestinian representatives ahead of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session. During an informal meeting of EU foreign ministers in Denmark, she anticipates a strong collective response from the EU to this U.S. action.
Upon arriving at the meeting in Copenhagen, Fajon expressed her significant concern regarding the U.S. refusal to grant visas to the Palestinian delegation led by President Mahmoud Abbas for the September general debate at the start of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly in New York. Abbas is expected to address both the Security Council and the UN General Assembly, where member states will consider potential new recognitions of Palestine as an independent and sovereign state.
At the meeting, Fajon expects not only a unified response to the U.S. decision but also ongoing discussions about taking action against Israel for human rights violations in Gaza, where Israeli military operations are escalating.
She plans to encourage her fellow ministers to follow Slovenia’s lead, as Slovenia has implemented national measures in the absence of EU action in recent months. These measures include a ban on the import, export, and transit of arms with Israel, a prohibition on goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, and the designation of two extreme Israeli ministers as undesirable individuals.
EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas does not foresee a breakthrough in discussions regarding EU-level actions. However, it should be noted that decisions cannot be made during this informal meeting. (August 30)
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