Ireland to support recognizing State of Palestine — FM

CAIRO, Ireland is to support recognizing the State of Palestine during the upcoming vote of the United Nations General Assembly, said Irish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Micheal Martin on Tuesday. In a joint press conference with Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry after a meeting, Martin affirmed Ireland, Spain and Slovenia are holding discussions to support the vote in coordination with the European side to achieve a two-state solution. Martin also noted that some "reasonable countries" are seeking to achieve recognition of the State of Palestine and stop the violence in the Gaza Strip. He also stressed the necessity of releasing the Israeli hostages, adding that the humanitarian aid to the Gazans must be increased. Moreover, Martin hoped that the United Nations General Assembly would adopt a resolution to recognize the Palestinian state and that his country would support voting for Palestine to gain full membership. For his part, the Egyptian Foreign Minister stressed the need for the international community to have the will to support the two-state solution, not just through verbal support, but through practical measures and mechanisms in the Security Council. Source: Kuwait News Agency