"Based on existing agreements between the UN and the host country, we all call for a review of this decision," EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas said on 30/8 after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen, Denmark.

The statement addressed the US move after it announced it would not allow Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas to travel to New York in September for a meeting of world leaders at the UN, where several Western countries are expected to recognize a Palestinian state.

A US State Department official said Abbas and about 80 Palestinian officials would be affected by the decision to deny or revoke visas for members of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.

Kallas cited international law and called on the US to reverse its decision.

Kaja Kallas speaks to the press after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 30/8. Photo: AFP

Kaja Kallas speaks to the press after a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 30/8. Photo: AFP

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said the same day that he had spoken with President Abbas to express his support, calling the visa denial "illogical". "Palestine has the right to speak at the UN and all international forums," he said.

France, which is leading the effort to recognize a Palestinian state at the UN meeting, also opposed the US decision. "The right to attend the UN General Assembly meeting should not be restricted," French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot told reporters in Copenhagen.

Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Albares described the US move as "unacceptable", while Irish Foreign Minister Simon Harris said the EU should oppose the decision "in the strongest possible terms". Spain and Ireland both recognized a Palestinian state in 2024.

The Palestinian Authority also called on the US to reverse the decision, saying the move "clearly violates international law and the UN Headquarters Agreement".

Abbas had planned to attend the annual General Assembly meeting at UN headquarters in New York. He was also expected to attend a summit hosted by France and Saudi Arabia, where the UK, France, Australia, and Canada have pledged to recognize a Palestinian state.

The UN Headquarters Agreement, adopted in 1947, includes a provision that the US may not deny visa requests for foreign diplomats to travel to the organization's headquarters. However, Washington maintains it can deny visas for security and foreign policy reasons.

The US previously denied a visa to PLO leader Yasser Arafat in 1988. The UN General Assembly that year met in Geneva instead of New York so Arafat could speak.

Huyen Le (AFP, CBC, DW)