Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation reached Bogotá, his third destination in seeking positive UN votes for the Palestinian state, to urge Colombia’s support. Abbas was welcomed by the assistant minister of foreign affairs of Colombia at the airport on Monday morning, the Ma’an News Agency reported.
The Palestinian President will meet the Colombian President, Juan Manuel Santos, today.
Abbas is accompanied by member of the PLO Executive Committee Saeb Ereikat, Minister of Foreign Affairs Riad Al-Malki, member of the Legislative Council Qais Abu Layla, Presidential spokesman Nabil Abu Rudeineh, and Palestinian UN representative Riyad Mansour, plus a number of Palestinian journalists.
In previous statements for Voice of Palestine radio, Saeb Ereikat said that the Palestinian president will point out to the Colombian officials that those who favor the ‘two states solution’ should support Palestine with the 1967 borders, and oppose Israeli policy that destroys this choice by its occupation of Palestinian territories.
He added that officials in the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, and Brazil have promised him that they will urge Colombia to support the right of self-determination for the Palestinian people.
Colombia had said earlier that it would oppose or abstain from voting in the UN Security Council for recognition of the Palestinian state, and that it would stand by Israel and the US.
