News - Ireland, Spain officially recognize Palestinian state

Ireland and Spain have formally recognized the State of Palestine on Tuesday, becoming the first European countries to do so in nearly 10 years. Ireland's Foreign Minister Micheal Martin said after the special meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers that today's decision of the Irish government enables to establish full diplomatic relations with the State of Palestine. Also, Martin announced his plan to upgrade the current status of the Palestinian diplomatic mission in Ireland to an embassy, following a corresponding request from the Palestinian side. The status of the Irish diplomatic mission will also be raised. Ireland, Spain, and Norway had announced their intention to recognize Palestine on May 22. Their decisions will officially take effect on Tuesday. Nine EU countries already had recognized Palestine. Bulgaria, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia did so in 1988—before joining the EU, and Sweden—in 2014. The Palestinian Authority has welcomed the aforementioned decision of Ireland, Spain, and Norway. In addition, this decision was supported by several other, including Turkey, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, which participate in the settlement of the conflict in the Middle East.