The Speaker of the Palestinian National Council (PNC), Mr. Saleem Al-Za’anoun, addressed the parliamentarians of Serbia and Kosovo regarding their countries ’ intention to open embassies in the occupied city of Jerusalem, in violation of international law and relevant international legitimacy decisions.
In his letters, the PNC Speaker addressed in this regard, the President of the Serbian National Assembly, Maya Kujevic, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives in Kosovo, Fusia Osmani, he demanded to pressure the governments of their countries to revoke that step which does not serve peace, and to explicitly announce its cancellation and adhere to international law.
Mr. Al-Za’anoun said: We have followed the announcement of US President Donald Trump during the joint conference with the Serbian President and the Prime Minister of Kosovo on 4th of Sep, 2020, about Serbia’s intention to transfer its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem by July 2021, and Kosovo’s intention to normalize relations with Israel and open embassy in Jerusalem.
PNC Speaker called on his Serbian and Kosovo counterparts not to submit to the blackmail of US President Donald Trump, and to adhere to and abide by the UN Security Council resolutions, especially Resolutions 476 and 478 of 1980 and Resolution 2334 of 2016, which called on all countries not to establish diplomatic missions in the city of Jerusalem, and that all decisions and procedures of administrative and legal actions taken by Israel in Jerusalem are absolutely null and void.
The recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of the occupation, and the transfer of the embassy to it is an illegal act that rewards the occupier forces instead of subjecting it to accountability and imposing penalties on, and it is an explicit recognition of Israel's illegal annexation of Jerusalem, PNC Speaker added, it’s an act that is inconsistent with the principles of justice and respect for peoples' rights.
PNC Speaker reminded his counterparts that the decision of US Administration and any other country to transfer its embassy to the city of Jerusalem are unilateral decisions that violate the legal status of the occupied Jerusalem, have no legal effect and are considered null and void under international law. He urged the parliamentarians of the two countries to review this step and return to it, because it represents a clear violation of the international consensus on the occupied city of Jerusalem, harms the relationship with the Arab and Islamic worlds, and will have negative effects on stability and security in the region.
In his messages, PNC Speaker affirmed the depth of relations between the Palestinian and Serbian peoples, the Palestinian and Kosova people, stressing that these relations are continuous and extended throughout history. Palestine is keen to strengthen and develop mutual relations in the interest of the two friendly peoples.