Pakistan, 18 other nations condemn Colombia’s Jerusalem embassy inauguration

Pakistan and 18 other Muslim and Arab countries condemned Colombia’s inauguration of an embassy in Jerusalem in a joint statement issued in Islamabad on Friday.

The foreign ministers said the move violates relevant United Nations resolutions and undermines efforts to achieve a lasting peace based on a two-state solution.

Which countries condemned Colombia’s Jerusalem embassy?

The joint statement came from the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Palestine, Türkiye, Djibouti, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Qatar, Jordan, Somalia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria, Oman, Syria and Sudan. They all rejected the decision to open the embassy in Jerusalem.

Why do the ministers say the move has no legal effect?

The ministers said any move to alter the legal or historical status of occupied Jerusalem, or to recognise the city as Israel’s capital, was null and void and had no legal effect. They reaffirmed that Jerusalem is part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967.

They said its legal and historical status must be preserved in accordance with international law.

What do UN Resolutions 476 and 478 say about Jerusalem?

The ministers cited relevant UN Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, particularly Resolutions 476 and 478, adopted in 1980. The resolutions reject unilateral measures seeking to change Jerusalem’s status. Resolution 478 also calls on states to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city.

What did the countries ask Colombia to do?

The ministers urged Colombia to reverse its decision, meet its obligations under international law and refrain from actions that could undermine the rights of the Palestinian people.

The statement reiterated the countries’ support for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital, under a two-state solution.