UK, French voice disagreement with US on Jerusalem

British envoy to the UN Matthew Rycroft said on Friday that his country does not agree with the US decision to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and has no plans to move the British embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

The UK position on the status of Jerusalem is clear and longstanding: it should be determined through a negotiated settlement between Israel and Palestine, Rycroft said, Xinhua reported.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday formally recognized Jerusalem as the Israeli capital and set in motion a plan to move the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.

"We therefore disagree with the US decision to move its embassy to Jerusalem and unilaterally to recognise Jerusalem as the Israeli capital before a final status agreement," Rycroft told an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on the status of Jerusalem, which was called by Britain and seven other council members.

Meanwhile, French permanent representative to the UN Francois Delattre said on Friday his country regrets the statement made by Trump on the recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

He told the emergency session that France believes Jerusalem should "become the capital of two states, Israel and Palestine," as part of a negotiated agreement.

"There's no alternative to the two state solution," he added.

In light of Trump's announcement, eight Council members - Bolivia, Egypt, France, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, the UK and Uruguay - called for an emergency meeting.

--IANS

ahm/