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Poland reaffirms long-standing recognition of Palestinian statehood

23.05.2024 11:00
During a meeting of the foreign ministers of Poland, Germany and France, Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski reiterated that his country recognized Palestinian statehood several decades ago.
Audio
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Photo:PAP/Jakub Kaczmarczyk

The meeting, held in Weimar, central Germany, on Wednesday, addressed various international issues, including the status of the Palestinian state and European security amid Russia's ongoing war against Ukraine.

"Poland recognized Palestinian statehood several decades ago," Sikorski said at a joint news conference with his German and French counterparts.

He noted that Poland recently voted at the United Nations in favor of Palestine's enhanced membership rights. He emphasized that this vote, supported by 143 countries, was a gesture towards a two-state solution rather than an opposition to Israel.

"It was not a vote against Israel, but a vote in favor of a two-state solution," Sikorski said.

He underscored Poland's commitment to supporting efforts led by EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and other international actors to achieve a stable and long-term resolution for the 5 million Palestinians living in the Gaza Strip and West Bank.

"We believe that such a long-term solution would be a two-state solution, and I remind you that externally Palestine is represented by the Palestinian Authority, not Hamas," Sikorski added.

Polish-Palestinian diplomatic relations were formally established in 1982 when the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Office in Poland was elevated to the status of an embassy. Following Poland's recognition of an independent Palestinian state in 1988, this diplomatic post was renamed the Embassy of Palestine.

Less than two weeks ago, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution supporting the granting of full member status to Palestine, a motion backed by Poland.

This proposed status must still be approved by the UN Security Council, where the five permanent members—the United States, Russia, China, France and the UK—hold veto power.

(jh/gs)

Source: IAR, PAP, gov.pl

Click on the audio player above to listen to a report by Radio Poland's Michał Owczarek.