Portugal regrets US veto and insists on ceasefire

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The Foreign Minister today regretted the United States’ decision to reject the UN Secretary General’s call for a ceasefire in Gaza and insisted on the path of dialog.

“Of course we regret it. We had precisely supported the resolution that is being vetoed,” João Gomes Cravinho told the Lusa news agency on the sidelines of the ‘Manuel António da Mota – A Life in Angola’ awards ceremony, which took place in Luanda.

Cravinho stressed that this was Portugal’s position and insisted that a humanitarian ceasefire was urgently needed.

“There needs to be access to humanitarian aid for the population of Gaza, we also believe that it is fundamental for the hostages in Gaza to be released without conditions and we believe that the ceasefire would go in this direction,” he stressed.

The head of Portuguese diplomacy said that talks must continue, noting that there have been developments in the positions of the United Nations and the United States, Israel and Gaza.

“We believe that by continuing the dialog, we will find solutions that will be satisfactory for everyone. It is essential that there is a ceasefire – and I repeat this appeal – while it is not permanent, it must be temporary, which allows humanitarian access to the populations, which allows us to start talking about a more stable future, namely through the two-state solution,” the minister stressed.

Asked by Lusa what could make the US change its position on the conflict, Gomes Cravinho considered that this is already happening, although not always visibly.

“But when you talk to American political leaders, you realize that their position is not so far from ours, it’s their interpretation of the way to get there that may be different,” he noted.

Today, the United States vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, despite an unprecedented appeal by the organization’s Secretary-General, António Guterres.

The resolution was presented by the United Arab Emirates and was supported by all Arab and Islamic countries, as well as Russia and China.

On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General António Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter for the first time since becoming Secretary-General, calling on the Security Council, the only UN body whose decisions are binding, to “prevent a humanitarian catastrophe” in the enclave and approve a ceasefire.

At a Security Council meeting convened in the wake of António Guterres’ unprecedented appeal, the UN leader urged the UN body, whose decisions are binding, to spare no effort to push for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, for the protection of civilians and for the urgent delivery of vital aid”.

“There is clearly, in my opinion, a serious risk of aggravating the existing threats to the maintenance of international peace and security,” he said, adding that “there is no effective protection of civilians”.

“I fear that the consequences could be devastating for the security of the entire region,” said Guterres.

Iris Lavan
Iris Lavan
With a background as a consultant in the medical industry, Iris Lavan brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to Portugal Pulse. Iris also runs a company in Tel Aviv offering marketing, business development, content creation and public relations services. She holds a degree in economics and management, giving her a solid grounding in business strategy and financial planning. Iris' commitment to Portugal Pulse is reflected not only in her consulting career, but also in her impact on the Portugale media landscape in Israel. She was an interviewer for Hadshot Portugal חדשות פורטוגל, a media outlet that broadcasts news about Portugal in Hebrew, where she provided valuable information on current affairs, healthcare and the economy. Since July 2023, Iris has also been part of the Portugal Pulse team.

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