19 Countries Condemn Colombia’s Decision to Open Embassy in Occupied Al-Quds

By Staff, Agencies

The foreign ministers of Turkey and 18 other countries on Friday strongly denounced Colombia’s inauguration of its embassy in occupied Al-Quds [“Jerusalem”], declaring that the move violates international law and undermines efforts to achieve a lasting peace based on a “two-state” solution.

In a joint statement issued by Turkey’s Foreign Ministry, the ministers expressed their “unequivocal rejection” of Colombia’s decision, warning that it contradicts relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions governing the status of Jerusalem.

The statement was signed by the foreign ministers of Turkey, Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen.

The ministers reaffirmed that any action intended to change the legal or historical status of occupied Al-Quds [“Jerusalem”], or to recognize the city as the capital of “Israel,” “is null and void and has no legal effect.”

They specifically referred to UN Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478, adopted in 1980, which reject measures aimed at altering Jerusalem’s character and status and call on states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city.

The joint statement emphasized that Al-Quds [“Jerusalem”] forms part of the Palestinian territories occupied in 1967, reiterating that unilateral decisions concerning the city cannot override its internationally recognized legal status.

The ministers urged the Colombian government to reconsider and reverse its decision, stressing the need to comply with international law and refrain from actions that undermine the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.

They also renewed their support for the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent and sovereign state.

The condemnation underscores continuing opposition among the 19 countries to measures they view as altering the status of occupied Jerusalem, while reaffirming their position that a just and lasting settlement must safeguard Palestinian rights and be grounded in the “two-state” solution.