Portuguese Parliament urges government to recognise State of Palestine

LISBON: The Portuguese Parliament today sent its recommendation to the Portuguese government, urging it to make all diplomatic efforts to defend the establishment of the independent State of Palestine. On January 10, the Portuguese Parliament approved by a large majority a recommendation to the government to take all appropriate and necessary steps to recognize the State of Palestine, so that the two states, Palestine and Israel, can live side by side in security and peace. The recommendation also included a call for the Portuguese government to use its resources, diplomatic influence, and bilateral relations with other countries, as well as to take advantage of being a member of international bodies, such as the Council of Foreign Ministers of the European Union, to influence and mobilize an international position that leads to the recognition of Palestine as an independent state. The recommendation stressed the importance of Portugal's defense of the need to respect United Nations resolutions related to the conflict, especially those that condemn and prohibit the construction of new colonies in the occupied West Bank. Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA