Pakistan and 18 other countries condemn Colombia’s embassy inauguration in Jerusalem
By The South Asia Times
ISLAMABAD - Pakistan and 18 other countries have condemned Colombia’s inauguration of its embassy in Jerusalem, saying the move violates relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and undermines international efforts to achieve a lasting peace between Israel and the Palestinians.
In a joint statement issued on Friday, the foreign ministers of 19 countries rejected the decision and called on the Colombian government to reverse it.
The statement was issued by Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and endorsed by Algeria, Djibouti, Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Oman, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Somalia, Syria, Sudan, Türkiye and Yemen.
The ministers said any decision intended to change the legal or historical status of Jerusalem or recognise it as Israel’s capital was “null and void” and had no legal effect.
They cited UN Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478, adopted in 1980, which rejected measures aimed at altering Jerusalem’s character and status and called on countries to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city.
The ministers also stressed that East Jerusalem forms part of the Palestinian territory occupied by Israel in 1967.
They urged Colombia to reconsider its decision, comply with international law and avoid actions that could undermine the rights of the Palestinian people.
The statement reaffirmed support for the establishment of an independent and sovereign Palestinian state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.
Jerusalem remains one of the most contentious issues in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Israel considers the city its capital, while Palestinians seek East Jerusalem as the capital of a future independent state. The city's status remains a central issue in international efforts to resolve the conflict through a two-state solution.
The ministers said the Colombian decision undermined efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace based on the establishment of separate Israeli and Palestinian states.
