News - World: Portugal has joined the countries planning to officially recognize the Palestinian state at the United Nations General Assembly this year, amid the Israeli regime’s ongoing genocide against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.

Ten countries, including Australia, Canada, France, the UK, and others, have announced plans to recognize the Palestinian state next week ahead of a high-level conference on Palestinian statehood at the UN General Assembly.

“The Official Declaration of Recognition will take place on Sunday, September 21st, before next week’s High-Level Conference,” the Portuguese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement on Friday.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that Portugal will recognize the State of Palestine,” the ministry wrote in its statement.

Portugal’s Prime Minister Luis Montenegro consulted with the president and parliament before finalizing the decision, according to Portugal’s Correio da Manha newspaper.

The local media outlet wrote on its website that the move marks an end to the nearly 15-year debate in the Western European country’s parliament.

Portugal’s announcement comes just days after a landmark UN inquiry determined that the Israeli war crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip amount to genocide.

At least 65,141 people have been killed and 165,925 wounded since Israel’s onslaught began in October 2023.

Meanwhile, an adviser to French President Emmanuel Macron said that Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, and San Marino plan to recognize the State of Palestine alongside France at the high-level meeting it is co-organizing with Saudi Arabia in New York on Monday.

Canada and the United Kingdom have also said they intend to do the same.

Their decision to recognize Palestinian statehood puts them at odds with the United States, which opposes the recognition of Palestine.

These countries will join some 147 states, representing 75 percent of UN members, that had already recognized Palestinian statehood as of April this year.

Source: Press TV