International Shia News Agency
All NewsAmericasFeatured 3Other Newsworld

State of Palestine recognised by Saint Kitts and Nevis

SHAFAQNA- The tiny Caribbean island of Saint Kitts and Nevis announced its official recognition of the State of Palestine last week.

St Kitts “formally recognizes the State of Palestine as a free, independent and sovereign state based on its 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital”, Wafa, the official Palestinian news agency, reported.

The announcement was made in a meeting between Mark Brantley, the foreign minister of the island, and Riyad Al-Maliki, the foreign minister of the Palestinian Authority (PA), who was on a tour of several Latin American and Caribbean countries.

St Kitts and Nevis Foreign Minister, Mark Brantley signed an agreement with the State of Palestine’s Foreign Minister and Expatriates, establishing diplomatic relations between both countries, Monday, July 29.

Minister Brantley welcomed Malki to the shores of St Kitts and Nevis, noting the importance of such an agreement.

St. Kitts and Nevis “formally recognizes the State of Palestine as a free, independent and sovereign state based on its 1967 borders and al-Quds al-Sharqit as its capital,” stated Brantley. He added that it also “reiterates its support of a credible two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with the two states living side by side in peace, prosperity and harmony.”

“We are aware that the State of Palestine has some 135 countries. I am advised that the United Nations recognizes most of them and we appreciate certainly the need to develop good relations with all nations and to seek to advance the interest of peace, security, and democracy globally. St Kitts and Nevis is very pleased that we are here [today] for this very historic occasion” , caribbeannewsnow reported.

Following the announcement, Al-Maliki thanked the foreign minister and passed on a letter from PA President Mahmoud Abbas expressing gratitude to the island nation’s Prime Minister Timothy Harris. Brantley said that St Kitts and Nevis will also be establishing direct ties with Palestine with a Palestinian ambassador being appointed to the island in the coming days.

The decision taken by St Kitts and Nevis, which has a population of approximately 50,000 people and consists of two volcanic islands, was the result of “an intensive effort undertaken by Palestinian diplomats,” including Al-Maliki and Palestinian Ambassador to Venezuela Linda Soboh, according to the PA Foreign Ministry, middleeastmonitor told.

According to The National, Palestine has been recognized as a state by 140 countries and semi-autonomous governments, but no major western countries have yet done so.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas has encouraged countries to take up recognition as a way of increasing international pressure on Israel to end the military occupation of the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, the territories that two-state peace plans have long slated as making up any Palestinian state.

Related posts

Day 5 of ICJ’s hearings on Israeli illegal occupation of Palestine

leila yazdani

ICJ: Hearings on Israeli occupation of Palestine continue

leila yazdani

Vatican: Pope Francis prays for people of Ukraine-Palestine-Myanmar

nasibeh yazdani

Asian Cup: Qatar advances to quarter-finals by beating Palestine

rahman samadreza

INA: Lebanese-Iraqi officials discuss bilateral relations

bahramian

Pope: Wars are disaster for people

nasibeh yazdani

Leave a Comment