The Belgian government announced here Friday that its authorization to the Palestine Liberation Organization to open a permanent information bureau in Brussels is a routine affair and does not constitute recognition of the PLO. The Belgian government’s communique stressed that “Juridically” Belgian legislation does not prevent a foreign organization from operating a bureau if its activities are not contrary to local laws. These bureaus have no diplomatic status.
Several organizations, including the Belgian Movement for Israel, which is headed by Minister of State Pierre Zwermeylan, have already protested against the government’s decision. The Belgian Foreign Ministry’s spokesman told a press conference that the PLO bureau will be authorized to fly the Palestinian flag but said commercial organizations do the same. He indicated that a basic difference between the PLO bureau in Paris and the one due to open in Brussels is that “France has granted it semi-diplomatic recognition, while we do not.”
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