Pakistan among 18 countries condemn inauguration of Colombian embassy in Jerusalem

Pakistan and 17 other countries have urged Colombia to reverse its decision to inaugurate an embassy in Jerusalem, saying the move violates international resolutions and undermines efforts to achieve a two-state solution to the Palestinian conflict.

In a joint statement issued by Pakistan’s Foreign Office on Friday, the foreign ministers of the countries rejected the move, arguing that any decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel’s capital or alter the status of the occupied city had no legal effect.

The statement was endorsed by the foreign ministers of Egypt, Palestine, Türkiye, Djibouti, Lebanon, Libya, Yemen, Qatar, Jordan, Somalia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Algeria, Oman, Syria and Sudan, alongside Pakistan.

The ministers cited United Nations Security Council Resolutions 476 and 478, adopted in 1980, which reject attempts to change Jerusalem’s character or status and call on countries to withdraw their diplomatic missions from the city.

They noted that East Jerusalem is part of the Palestinian territory occupied in 1967 and reaffirmed their support for the Palestinian people’s right to an independent and sovereign state, with East Jerusalem as its capital.

The ministers called on the Colombian government to reconsider and reverse its decision, urging it to meet its obligations under international law and avoid steps that could undermine Palestinian rights or efforts to secure a lasting peace based on a two-state solution.