Saudi Arabia welcomes announcements by several countries on recognizing Palestinian state

Saudi Arabia on Thursday welcomed Canada and Malta’s announcements of their intention to recognize a Palestinian state during the upcoming UN General Assembly in September and urged other countries to follow suit.

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“The Kingdom praises such positive decisions that solidify the two-state solution and that emphasize the international communities’ agreement on the need to end the struggles of the brotherly Palestinian people,” the Kingdom’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on X. “[Saudi Arabia] reiterates its call [urging] other countries to take such serious steps that support peace.”

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Wednesday that his country planned to recognize a Palestinian state in September.

Meanwhile, Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela made a similar announcement on Tuesday.

Later on Thursday, Saudi Arabia also welcomed Portugal’s announcement that it is considering recognizing the State of Palestine, and urged global partners to take similar steps to help achieve a “just and comprehensive” peace, according to a statement by the Saudi foreign ministry.

Portugal “is considering recognition of the Palestinian state, as part of a procedure that could be concluded during the high-level week of the 80th United Nations General Assembly, to be held in New York in September,” the office of the Portuguese prime minister said in a statement on Thursday.

The developments come after French President Emmauel Macron announced last week that France was going to take the step to recognize a Palestinian state. The UK said this week that it was planning to follow suit unless Israel took certain measures to improve the situation in Gaza among other conditions it set.

These decisions came at a time when the UN this week hosted a high-level conference co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France on the Palestinian cause and the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Read more:

Canada intends to recognize Palestinian state at UN General Assembly: Carney

Malta to recognize Palestinian state in September

Two-State Conference sets 15-month timeline for creation of Palestinian state

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