Countries of South America, Caribbean affirm support to Palestine UN membership

Ambassadors and representatives of countries of South America and the Caribbean to Egypt all affirmed full support to legitimate Palestinian right to full United Nations membership. Speaking separately at the permanent envoy meeting at the Arab League, the diplomats affirmed commitment to Palestinian people right to self-determination as per UN and international legitimacy resolutions. Ambassador of Brazil to Cairo Paulino Franco de Carvalho Neto asserted that his country will continue to exert efforts to support Palestinian people, adding that Palestine plays a focal role in the region. He also expressed hope that the international community would actively contribute to putting an end to this series of wars that killed and injured many Palestinians. As for the Bolivian Ambassador, Edwin Rivero Kispert, he asserted that the Palestinian people have a right to self-determination and a free independent sovereign state with East Jerusalem as capital. The Venezuelan Ambassador, Wilmer Omar Barrientos, said t hat international community is responsible for recognizing Palestinian state and its right to full UN membership. Venezuela will support Arab group at the UN, said the Ambassador, expressing his country's utter refusal of what is happening in the West Bank and Gaza Strip of continuous aggression by Israeli occupation. Colombian Ambassador to Cairo, Ana Milena de Gaviria, underlined necessity of strengthening relations between Arab states and the South America and the Caribbean countries, as the two regions share common values and interests. The Ambassador reiterated her country's complete rejection of Israeli occupation's aggression as Colombian policies are based on respect of international law and rejection of Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands. Source: Kuwait News Agency