Belgium cannot issue diplomatic passports to Palestinians for UN assembly
Belgium cannot issue diplomatic passports to Palestinian politicians and diplomats to enable their participation in the United Nations General Assembly in New York. The 2014 Consular Code does not allow this, the Foreign ministry has confirmed in response to a proposal from the Belgian-Palestinian Association.
Following the United States’ announcement last week that it would not issue visas to the Palestinian delegation, the ABP suggested bypassing the decision by providing Belgian diplomatic passports, specifically for Palestinian authority president Mahmoud Abbas.
According to its chair, former senator Pierre Galand, Belgium and other "friendly" countries adopted a similar approach in 1988, when the US refused visas to Palestinian officials, including Abbas’s predecessor, Yasser Arafat.
"US visa requirements remain in effect, even if one holds a diplomatic passport issued by another authority"
"The Consular Code of 2014 no longer permits Belgium to issue diplomatic passports to non-Belgians. A Belgian diplomatic passport is reserved for Belgians who represent Belgium, a community, or a region, or who hold a high-ranking political or diplomatic position," a spokesperson for the Foreign ministry said.
Limits in the US
Belgian diplomats noted that even if such passports could be issued, they would not resolve the problem, as the US remains the authority responsible for granting visas.
"US visa requirements remain in effect, even if one holds a diplomatic passport issued by another authority. The US authorities systematically refuse visas to representatives of the Palestinian Authority and the PLO for political reasons," the ministry said.
Foreign minister Maxime Prévot described the US decision as "unjust and counterproductive" at the end of August, at a time when several countries, led by France and Saudi Arabia, are seeking to revive the two-state solution. A conference on the subject is being organised on the sidelines of the General Assembly.
UN General Assembly Hall, New York © PHOTO BIANCA OTERO / ZUMA PRESS WIRE
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