Portuguese parliament recommends government to recognise State of Palestine

The Portuguese parliament approved a recommendation to the government to recognise the State of Palestine on January 12.

The parliament approved by a large majority a recommendation to the government to recognise the State of Palestine, “in close coordination with close partners within the EU”, according to Portugal Pulse.

The final text of the draft resolution, presented by the parliamentary committee on Foreign Affairs and Portuguese Communities, recommends that the executive, “within the peace process, take the appropriate and necessary steps so that Portugal can recognise, in close coordination with close partners within the EU, the viable and sustainable State of Palestine”.

The initiative, which is the result of the PS, PAN and Livre projects, was voted for by the PS, PSD, Liberal Initiative, Left Bloc, PAN and Livre, against by Chega and abstained by the PCP, in a plenary vote in the Assembly of the Republic.

The resolution calls for a “fair and mutually accepted division of territory” to ensure that Palestine “can live side by side with the recognised State of Israel in peace and security, excluding any terrorist organisation as a representative of the Palestinian people”.