Portugal has joined Australia, Canada, France, and the United Kingdom in the decision to recognize the State of Palestine.
The Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the recognition will take place on Sunday, just one day before a high-level conference on Palestinian statehood at the United Nations General Assembly.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that Portugal will recognize the State of Palestine. The official declaration of recognition will be made on Sunday, September 21, ahead of next week’s high-level conference,” the ministry said in a statement published on its official website.
According to the Portuguese newspaper Correio da Manhã, center-right Prime Minister Luis Montenegro consulted with the president and parliament before making the final decision. This step marks the end of an almost 15-year debate in the Portuguese parliament, as the proposal was first introduced in 2011 by the Left Bloc party, Reuters reports.
