New Zealand eyeing recognition of Palestinian state

The New Zealand government will formally weigh up its position on the recognition of Palestine over the next month, said Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters.

“Some of New Zealand’s close partners have opted to recognise a Palestinian state, and some have not,” Peters said, Caliber.Az reports, citing an Auckland-based newspaper.

The minister said: “Ultimately, New Zealand has an independent foreign policy, and on this issue, we intend to weigh up the issue carefully and then act according to New Zealand’s principles, values and national interest."

“New Zealand has been clear for some time that our recognition of a Palestinian state is a matter of when, not if.”

He noted that the New Zealand Cabinet will discuss the possibility of establishing a viable state on the territory of Palestine. “New Zealand has long asked whether the pre-requisites for a viable and legitimate Palestinian state – in security, political, diplomatic and economic terms – exist,” the minister added.

Peters also noted the importance of approaching this issue “calmly and cautiously”.

By Khagan Isayev