Middle East, Portugal officially recognizes State of Palestine

Milan, Sept. 21 (LaPresse) – Portugal has officially recognized the State of Palestine. In a speech delivered in New York, Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel stated that “Portugal supports the two-state solution as the only path to a just and lasting peace.” The news was reported by RTP – Rádio e Televisão de Portugal. The recognition is the “realization of a fundamental, constant, and consensual line of Portuguese foreign policy,” he said, stressing that the two-state solution is “the only path to peace.” The foreign minister explained that the declaration was issued after the conditions set by Prime Minister Luís Montenegro’s government had been verified. “Portugal would have acted only together with a group of Western states that over time have shared positions on this issue, and if the declaration in question had had a useful, tangible, and significant effect,” he said.