Diplomat forfeits participation at UN General Assembly due to visa complications
In a press conference held today in Brasília, Brazil, the country's Minister of Health, Alexandre Padilha, and Foreign Affairs Minister, Mauro Vieira, addressed the ongoing diplomatic crisis between Brazil and the United States.
The current situation has arisen due to travel restrictions imposed on Alexandre Padilha by the US government, allowing him to travel only between the airport, hotel, and UN headquarters. These restrictions, according to Padilha, make it impossible for him to fully participate in activities he needs to attend during his visit to New York for the 77th UN General Assembly.
Vieira described the restrictions as 'absurd' and called for intervention by the UN Secretary-General regarding Padilha's movement. He also requested 'intervention' from the Secretary-General 'with the host country'.
Alexandre Padilha, who was part of a delegation accompanying President Lula da Silva to the UN General Assembly, attended an interview with Studio i and expressed his concerns about the restrictions.
The topic of the press conference in Brasília was the diplomatic crisis between Brazil and the United States, with the focus on the restrictions on Padilha's participation in the UN General Assembly. The EU's chief diplomat, Kaja Kallas, was present at the press conference.
It is important to note that the UN Headquarters Agreement states that state, federal, or local authorities shall impose no impediment to the movement of representatives of Member States to or from the UN headquarters in New York.
In August, the US government canceled Alexandre Padilha's visa and that of some of his family members as a sanction for his past actions as Minister of Health, which included participating in the signing of a 2013 agreement to hire thousands of Cuban doctors.
However, on Thursday, the US government granted Alexandre Padilha's visa, which may alleviate some of the tensions between the two countries.
The press conference in Brasília was held alongside Kaja Kallas, and the two ministers expressed their hopes for a resolution to the diplomatic crisis and a smooth continuation of the UN General Assembly.
Read also:
- United States tariffs pose a threat to India, necessitating the recruitment of adept negotiators or strategists, similar to those who had influenced Trump's decisions.
- Weekly happenings in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Southwest region's most popular posts, accompanied by an inquiry:
- Discussion between Putin and Trump in Alaska could potentially overshadow Ukraine's concerns
