“The recognition of the State of Palestine does not mean that, the next day, there will be a State of Palestine with a set of conditions; it is necessary for such conditions to exist, such as institutions and free elections, to ensure that the state actually exists,” said Mariana Leitão today during a visit to Expoval in the municipality of Valongo (Porto district), at Ermesinde Urban Park.
Nonetheless, Leitão emphasized that “recognition is relevant from the perspective of diplomatic relations,” but also stressed the importance of creating conditions for recognition. “We support the existence of two states to allow, for example, Arab League countries to offer similar recognition to Israel.”
“What we aim for in the long run is peace and coexistence. Obviously, for coexistence to occur, it is essential to dismantle Hamas entirely, disarm, and ensure Palestine becomes a free territory with democratic elections, where people choose their leaders, and not remain under the influence of a terrorist entity like Hamas,” she stated.
Portugal is set to recognize the State of Palestine this coming Sunday, on the eve of a high-level conference addressing the two-state solution, announced today by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that Portugal will recognize the State of Palestine, as Minister Paulo Rangel had previously indicated this week,” stated in a communiqué.
This recognition, the ministry adds, will take place on Sunday.
Hence, the “Official Declaration of Recognition will occur ahead of next week’s High-Level Conference,” organized by France and Saudi Arabia at the United Nations headquarters in New York.
The Portuguese government’s announcement followed a statement from the French Presidency stating that 10 countries will proceed with this recognition on Monday, within the framework of the two-state conference.
In addition to France, which is spearheading the initiative, and Portugal, other states include Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Malta, the United Kingdom, and San Marino, as mentioned by a counselor to President Emmanuel Macron.
