France says US should not deny Palestinians access to UN summit

Paris: French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot has said there should be no restrictions on access to next month’s UN General Assembly, after the United States said it would deny visas to members of the Palestinian Authority.

“A UN General Assembly meeting… should not be subject to any restrictions on access,” Barrot said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Denmark.

A string of ministers in Copenhagen echoed France’s call for the United States to allow access to the Palestinian delegation.

The extraordinary step by Washington comes as France is leading a push to recognise the Palestinian state at the gathering of world leaders in New York.