Brussels, August 30 (LaPresse) – On sanctions against Israel, "I’m not very optimistic, because even the option we’re proposing — which is rather lenient regarding their participation in the Horizon programme — doesn’t have qualified majority support. We will discuss it. There are many proposals suggesting that those countries who didn’t support us should still be allowed to participate. But that’s how it is. I’m not very optimistic, and we certainly won’t be taking any decisions today."
This was stated by the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs, Kaja Kallas, upon her arrival at the informal Foreign Affairs Council (Gymnich) in Copenhagen.
"This sends a signal that we are divided on this issue, and being divided, we do not have a unified voice. So if we don’t have a unified voice, then on this issue, we have no voice on the global stage," the head of EU diplomacy stressed.
Regarding the U.S. refusal to grant visas to the Palestinian delegation and Mahmoud Abbas to attend the UN General Assembly, Kallas said: "We need to clarify the facts. We will definitely discuss it today. And of course, we support the principles that the United Nations is a place for all nations that have status. So we will definitely discuss it, but first we need to clarify the facts."
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