A flag of Portugal. Photo: AFP
Portugal will officially recognize the State of Palestine on Sunday, the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced Friday evening.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirms that Portugal will recognize the State of Palestine … The official declaration of recognition will take place on Sunday, Sep. 21,” just before the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly, stated a message published on the ministry’s website.
As early as the end of July, Lisbon had announced its intention to recognize the State of Palestine after “multiple contacts” with its partners and notably in view of “the extremely worrying evolution of the conflict, both in humanitarian terms and due to repeated references to a possible annexation of Palestinian territories” by Israel, detailed a statement from the Prime Minister’s office at the time.
Portugal will not be alone, as a summit on Monday in New York, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly, will focus on the future of the two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians living side by side in peace and security. According to the French presidency, nine other countries plan to recognize the Palestinian state at this meeting: Andorra, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Luxembourg, Malta, the United Kingdom, San Marino and France.
Last week, the U.N. General Assembly overwhelmingly adopted a text supporting a future Palestinian state, while unequivocally excluding Hamas. Neighboring Portugal, Spain recognized the State of Palestine in May 2024, along with Ireland and Norway. About three-quarters of the U.N.’s 193 member states recognize the Palestinian state proclaimed by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988.
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