António Filipe responded to the joint statement signed by the Portuguese Minister of Foreign Affairs at the conclusion of the conference that ended on Tuesday in New York, advocating for the recognition of the State of Palestine.
“I believe Portugal should have done this a long time ago; there is no justification for the Portuguese state not recognizing the State of Palestine. Most countries in the world have already done so, within the European Union there are countries that have done so and others planning to do it soon. Portugal should have already left that increasingly small list of countries that do not recognize the State of Palestine,” he stated.
In Europe, the declaration was signed by Andorra, Finland, France, Iceland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Slovenia, and Spain. Among these, Spain, Ireland, Norway, and Slovenia recognized the Palestinian state last year.
Portugal admits recognizing the State of Palestine and declares its commitment to work on the “next day” in Gaza, in a joint statement signed at the end of the United Nations conference on the two-State solution.
Lusa | 09:01 – 30/07/2025
France announced last week that it will take this step at the UN General Assembly in September, and the United Kingdom might do the same, as the British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, announced on Tuesday.
“We invite all countries that have yet to do so to join this call” on the recognition of the State of Palestine, the ministers urge in the joint statement, also appealing to countries that have not done so “to establish normal relations with Israel and express their willingness to begin discussions on the regional integration of the State of Israel.”
António Filipe, speaking to journalists in Barreiro, in the Setúbal district, on the sidelines of a meeting with user commissions, emphasized that more needs to be done than just recognizing the State of Palestine.
“It is important on the diplomatic level to make every effort for a ceasefire, so that the population of Palestine is no longer massacred, as it is, by the Israeli authorities, and that there are no restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip,”, he said.
The presidential candidate also highlighted the importance of complying with United Nations resolutions.
“The UN resolutions call for the existence of two States, with the 1967 borders, which are the internationally recognized boundaries. That is fundamental, meaning when talking about the two States, it implies that there is a viable Palestinian State recognized within the 1967 borders. The commitment of the Portuguese State at the diplomatic level should be precisely towards that goal,” he stressed.
