Prime Minister António Costa today defended the need to pave the way for a Palestinian state in order to ensure a “lasting peace” in the Middle East that will allow freedom for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples.
“It’s essential not only to have a ceasefire, but also to be able to create the conditions for a lasting solution that involves the creation of two states in the region where the Israeli and Palestinian people are guaranteed freedom of life,” said António Costa in Paris, on his last visit abroad as head of the Portuguese government.
Costa expressed his satisfaction that the European Union had managed to reach an agreement and “a common position to demand a pause in the fighting in order to allow humanitarian aid to the Palestinian people”.
“What is happening is an absolutely unacceptable case of violation of international law and humanitarian law,” argued António Costa, after recalling that European countries not only condemned the Hamas attacks of October 7, but also agreed with Israel’s right to defend itself and even to attack that Palestinian terrorist group.
Costa considered, however, that “no one can recognize Israel’s right to indiscriminately attack the Palestinian people and not ensure the Palestinian people’s right to life, tranquility and peace”.
The outgoing Prime Minister traveled to Paris on Friday to attend, accompanied by the Mayor of Paris, a Franco-Portuguese concert commemorating the Carnation Revolution by the Centenary Parisian Orchestra “Colonne”, conducted by maestro Cesário Costa.
Today, António Costa presided over a ceremony to confer the insignia of the Order of Merit on Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota and Victoire di Rosa at the Portuguese embassy in France.
The award was justified by the “outstanding work in the Portugal-France Cross Cultural Season 2022” carried out by Emmanuel Demarcy-Mota and Victoire di Rosa.
Asked about the state of health of the Princess of Wales, Kate Midleton, Costa wished her well and a speedy recovery.
