PARIS: French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday criticised the United States for not granting visas to the Palestinian officials, describing the move as “unacceptable”, and vowed to move ahead with the plans on co-chairing an international conference on the two-state solution.
“No offensive, annexation attempt, or forced displacement of populations will derail the momentum we have created with the [Saudi] Crown Prince [Mohammed bin Salman] — momentum that many partners have already joined,” Macron said.
In a post shared on X, the French president said he had just talked to the Saudi Crown Prince to discuss the issue.
“Together, we will co-chair the Conference on the Two-State Solution in New York on September 22,” the French president.
Meanwhile, he asked the Trump administration to grant visas to the Palestinian officials, including Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, reminding the US of the “Host Country Agreement”.
“The American decision not to grant visas to Palestinian officials is unacceptable. We call for this measure to be reversed and for Palestinian representation to be ensured in accordance with the Host Country Agreement.”
He also promised to legitimate aspirations of Palestinians while sharing the objective.
“Our objective is clear: to rally the broadest possible international support for the Two-State Solution —the only way to meet the legitimate aspirations of both Israelis and Palestinians.”
It’s a developing story. Details to follow.