“The participation, to be honest, is nothing special. […] I have already met with the Palestinian Authority’s prime minister surely three or four times. I have spoken with him on the phone numerous times,” stated Paulo Rangel, justifying his presence at a meeting convened by the Spanish government to discuss steps towards a two-state solution — Palestine and Israel.
In a joint press conference with his German counterpart Johann Wadephul, who is visiting Lisbon, the Foreign Minister affirmed that in Madrid he was just one of the participants, alongside colleagues from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, or Egypt, as well as from Spain, all of whom play a significant role in the process, while ensuring that Portugal maintains its longstanding position.
“It was a meeting with a group of colleagues, also from various European countries, with whom we maintain an ongoing dialogue regarding the Middle East issue,” he emphasized.
“Our position is very clear: to demand an immediate and unconditional ceasefire, to demand the provision of humanitarian aid on a massive scale in a situation that is catastrophic and desperate, teetering on the brink of starvation deaths, which is absolutely unacceptable. There is no doubt about this,” explained Paulo Rangel.
The Portuguese Foreign Minister further stated that he would participate, from June 17 to 20, in New York, in the high-level conference presided over by France and Saudi Arabia.
“Portugal has always had a very clear stance, which is to condemn the attacks of October 7 [2023], and now, to condemn Israel’s disproportionate response, which we have been doing at least since we took office a year ago,” he added, recalling that Lisbon “systematically refused authorization for any export of war or dual-use material destined for Israel.”
“Our position regarding recognition is reflected in a doctrine that I have reiterated numerous times in Parliament, meaning it is something that is always under review and is discussed with our partners, whether those who have already recognized the State of Palestine or those who believe further steps are needed for such recognition to take place,” he insisted.
For Paulo Rangel, this doctrine “has not changed,” and although reality is somewhat dynamic, this does not mean that recognizing the State of Palestine might not become a step to be taken at some point.
“But, honestly, there was certainly no development in that regard at yesterday’s [Sunday’s] meeting. We are continually in discussions with countries like Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Denmark, Greece, Italy, which share positions very similar to ours today. In this context, we continue to mature our position,” remarked the minister.
“For us, the priority is the immediate ceasefire and the entry of humanitarian aid. This is the priority. No other priority can surpass this,” he concluded.
