UK Set to Recognise Palestinian State in Support of Two-State Solution
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to announce on Sunday Britain’s recognition of a Palestinian state despite disapproval from the United States, the UK’s closest ally, according to the Reuters news agency.
Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy confirmed that Starmer would announce his decision later on Sunday and said any recognition should be seen as part of a peace process leading to an eventual two-state solution.
A number of other countries including France, Canada, Australia and Belgium are also expected to formally recognise a Palestinian state this week at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
“Any step to recognise (a Palestinian state) is because we wish to keep alive the prospects of a two-state solution,” Lammy told Sky News.
Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Varsen Aghabekian, said on Sunday that Palestine stands at the threshold of a significant and eventful week, with the international community turning its attention to the Palestinian cause, Wafa news agency reported.
Speaking at a press conference in Ramallah, Aghabekian announced that a number of countries are expected to recognize the State of Palestine in the coming two days, describing such recognition as a “legal and natural right that carries a message of hope to the Palestinian people for a free and sovereign state.”
The minister noted that 159 countries—representing approximately 82 percent of the world’s nations—now recognize the State of Palestine.
