France condemns US refusal to grant visas to Palestinian officials.

Arab Sea Newspaper - Special

**Arabian Sea - Agencies:** French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned on Saturday the United States' refusal to grant entry visas to officials in the Palestinian Authority for United Nations meetings. The French Foreign Minister, in Copenhagen ahead of a meeting of EU foreign ministers, affirmed that access to the United Nations headquarters in New York "cannot be subject to any restrictions." The French Minister affirmed that "the United Nations headquarters is a neutral place in the service of peace. Attendance at the United Nations General Assembly cannot be subject to any restrictions," according to Agence France-Presse. Washington announced its decision on Friday evening, a few weeks before the United Nations General Assembly in September, where France will push for the recognition of the State of Palestine. Washington said it would refuse to grant entry visas to the head of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, and a number of senior Palestinian officials to attend the United Nations General Assembly meetings next month in New York. The US State Department said the decision would include Abbas and about 80 officials from the Palestinian Authority and the Palestine Liberation Organization, justifying it with "security and political concerns," noting that the permanent Palestinian mission to the United Nations is not covered by the decision.