Portugal was one of the countries that voted in favor of a resolution granting “additional rights and privileges” to Palestine: “An unprecedented gesture in Portuguese diplomacy,” highlights Rangel.
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The Minister of Foreign Affairs highlighted this Tuesday “the unprecedented gesture” of Portugal in relation to Palestine at the United Nations and said that national diplomacy is playing “an important role” together with other European countries in this matter.
Portugal, with 142 other countries, He voted last week in favor of a resolution granting “additional rights and privileges” to Palestine. and calls on the Security Council to favorably reconsider its application for full membership of the organization.
UN General Assembly grants new rights to Palestine and supports its full membership
It was “an unprecedented gesture in Portuguese diplomacy” and “therefore, Portugal is clearly in this line,” Paulo Rangel highlighted this Tuesday, in a press conference in Madrid, together with his counterpart from Spain, José Manuel Albares, with whom he met this Tuesday.
Rangel stressed that “it was a vote in favor, without conditions” and, regarding the possibility and moment for Portugal to recognize the Palestinian State, he reiterated that the Portuguese Government is still “in consultations.”
In the Portuguese case, what we considered appropriate at this moment was to make that favorable vote without restrictions, conditions, but not move towards formal recognition. [do Estado da Palestina]”he added.
The minister maintained that “each State has its own vocation and its own way of seeing this issue” and affirmed that Portugal is “playing an important role” with the countries of the European Union (EU) “that were more reluctant” to vote. in favor in the UN General Assembly or in relation to the very principle of recognition of the Palestinian State.
“We consider that the position we took was the correct one. It is the correct position for us to bring some more hesitant, doubtful and reluctant states to the side that can most lead to the two-state solution” in the Middle East (Israel and Palestine), Rangel said.
The Portuguese minister thus responded to journalists’ questions about the reasons why Portugal is not moving forward, as Spain has already announced that it intends to do so soon, towards the formal recognition of the State of Palestine, taking into account the vote in the General Assembly of the ONU. Assembly.
Rangel once again stated that “there is a very great consensus between Portugal and Spain” on this issue.
In this context, he said that the two countries agree in defending the immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territory of the Gaza Strip, in the request for the immediate release of the Israeli hostages who are in the hands of the Islamist group Hamas and in the request for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza, where “a catastrophe” is occurring.
Rangel said that, like Spain, Portugal considers that “The two-state solution is absolutely fundamental” for peace in the Middle East and that, although “for tragic reasons”, there is now “a unique opportunity” to resume it.
“This two-state solution is something we deeply agree on,” said Paulo Rangel.
Source: Observadora
