The Colombian head of state reiterated to the two diplomats his call for an international peace conference. “I have met with the ambassador of Israel and the ambassador of Palestine. I have expressed my position of achieving an international peace conference that may open the way for two independent and free states,” the president revealed on social networks.

Petro emphasized that the children of both Palestine and Israel “should and have the right to live in peace.” He also confirmed his recent announcement of sending humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. “We will send a plane with humanitarian aid to the outskirts of Gaza waiting for the opening of a humanitarian corridor,” he stressed.

He also announced that “Colombia will open its embassy in Ramallah, Palestine”, making official Colombia’s recognition of the Palestinian State, a decision made by the government of Juan Manuel Santos on August 3rd, 2018.

On September 15th, Petro urged at the G77+China Summit to address the issue of war without differences or double standards. He assured that it is impossible to assume responsibilities for of humanity’s main problems if there is war.

“I would ask the G77 and China to also address this issue of war to overcome it. Not because we have to take sides between Russia or Ukraine, but rather because we should compare two situations in today’s global debate,” Petro said, referring to the current conflicts and positions around them.

“What is the difference between the war between Russia and Ukraine and that between Israel and Palestine? And why this double standard of assuming a great front of human unity in the war between Russia and Ukraine against Russia, and not taking sides and sabotaging the possibility of a great human front against Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territory, if it is the same thing?” he questioned.

For Petro, it would be important for the G77 and China, to propose to the United Nations and the powers of the world, that the time has come to hold two immediate peace conferences for the good of humanity, in order to open the spaces for discussion in which the world must take part: the climate crisis, a peace conference on the war in Ukraine and another on the Palestinian occupation.

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