Brussels /PNN/

Palestinian Ambassador to the European Union, Belgium and Luxembourg Amal Jadou Shakaa met with the EU’s Special Representative for the Middle East Peace Process, Christophe Bigot, to discuss the latest political developments and the situation on the ground, amid renewed diplomatic activity surrounding the Palestinian issue.

Bigot reviewed what he described as significant political and diplomatic momentum during the recent United Nations General Assembly meetings in New York, which featured a series of high-level gatherings and initiatives focused on Palestine and Gaza. These included the high-level “Path Forward” meeting, a ministerial session of the Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, and the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee (AHLC) meeting on coordinating international aid to Palestinians, alongside discussions related to the Team Gaza Initiative and early recovery and reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip.

He noted that despite the absence of a senior Palestinian delegation—after U.S. authorities did not grant visas—the Palestinian issue remained prominent throughout the UN meetings, reflected in the volume of international consultations and initiatives addressing the future of a two-state solution.

Both sides stressed the importance of building on this momentum and sustaining European support for a two-state solution and the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people, as part of efforts to advance a just and lasting political resolution and the realization of an independent Palestinian state.

The meeting also addressed developments on the ground and upcoming Palestinian elections, with both sides emphasizing the need for continued coordination and consultation between Palestine and the European Union in the coming period.

In a separate meeting, Jadou Shakaa held talks with Latvia’s Ambassador and representative to the EU’s Political and Security Committee, Kristaps Brusbārdis, where she briefed him on what she described as serious violations against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank, as well as ongoing bilateral coordination within the EU framework.

She highlighted what she described as the gravity of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, pointing to the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza and escalating Israeli measures in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, alongside rising settler violence and continued settlement expansion. She also raised concerns over the continued withholding of Palestinian clearance revenues and its impact on Palestinian institutions.

Jadou Shakaa called on the European Union and its member states to uphold their responsibilities under international law to halt violations and ensure protection for the Palestinian people, while stressing the importance of supporting and safeguarding the democratic process announced by President Mahmoud Abbas.

The two sides also discussed Latvia’s position in support of a two-state solution and ways to enhance Palestinian-Latvian coordination within the EU.

The meetings were attended by First Secretary Alaa Jadallah from the Palestinian Mission to the European Union.