UN chief 'deeply regrets' US visa refused to Abbas for annual meeting

United Nations secretary general Antonio Guterres "deeply regrets" Washington's decision to deny a visa for the second year running to Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas, a UN spokesperson said Friday, preventing him from attending the UN General Assembly. The US State Department said on Thursday it was refusing to grant visas to Abbas and other Palestinian officials for next week's assembly. Only members of the Palestinian mission to the UN can attend the meeting, which begins Tuesday. “The Secretary-General is concerned about the impact of this decision on the ability of the State of Palestine to participate fully in the work of the United Nations,” Guterres's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said in a statement. “The full participation of all delegations in the work of the Organization is essential to its proper functioning.”