Palestine question/Arafat visa – GA debate – Letter from Bahrain

Letter dated 28 November  from the Permanent Representative

of Bahrain to th United Nations addressed to th the Secretary-General

I have the honour to transmit to you herewith a statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the State of Bahrain on 28 November 1988 concerning the refusal of the United States Administration to grant Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, an entry visa to the United States of America to participate in the deliberations on the question of Palestine when that item comes before the General Assembly on 1 December next.

I should be grateful if you would have this letter and the text of the statement annexed hereto circulated as an official document of the General Assembly, under agenda items 37 and 131, and of the Security Council.

(Signed)  Karim Ebrahim AL-SHAKAR

Permanent Representative

ANNEX

Text of the the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs

of the State of Bahrain on 28 November 1988

It was with great dismay and bewilderment that Bahrain learnt of the refusal of the United States Administration to grant Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, an entry visa to the United States of America to participate in the deliberations on the question of Palestine when that item comes before before the GeneraAssembly on 1 December next.

The position adopted by the United States of America is in violation of the Agreement between the United Nations and the United States of America regarding the Headquarters of the United Nations, and undermines the role of the Organization in addressing the issues of peace and security in the world.

The State of Bahrain, in expressing its profound regret at this decision, which is characterized neither by realism nor logic in view of the positive and constructive resolutions recently adopted by the Palestine National Council at Algiers, calling as they do for the establishment of a just and lasting peace in the region, is hopeful that the United States Administration will reconsider its decision in order to avoid the negative repercussions it will have on the peace process.

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