Recognizing Palestinian state 'is not symbolic': Palestinian foreign minister

Recognizing a Palestinian state "is not symbolic" because it offers "a perspective for the future," Palestinian Authority Deputy Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said Monday in Rome.

"We discussed the recognition of the Palestinian state, and I made it clear that this recognition was not symbolic. Recognizing the Palestinian state gives us a perspective for the future," she told reporters after a meeting with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani. "It shows us that the two-state solution — which has long eroded — is preserved. It also sends a clear message: The only solution is to recognize a Palestinian state living in peace and security alongside the state of Israel," she emphasized.

The Italian government, for its part, believes that recognition of a Palestinian state cannot happen before the state is actually created. "As long as there is no state, it is difficult to recognize it officially. We recognize the Palestinian National Authority, which we have welcomed with a feeling of true friendship," Tajani said. "Before recognizing it officially, we must create the Palestinian state; otherwise, it becomes wishful thinking and produces no effect. We are working to achieve tangible results," he insisted.

At the end of July, French President Emmanuel Macron announced that France would recognize the State of Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly, which will be held from Sept. 9 to 23 in New York. Subsequently, more than a dozen Western countries called on other nations around the world to follow suit.