Minister of State and Foreign Affairs of Portugal Paulo Rangel speaks to members of the media as he delivers remarks on Portugal's recognition of a Palestinian state in New York on Sept. 21, 2025. (Credit: AFP)
Portugal's Foreign Affairs Minister Paulo Rangel announced on Sunday that the country has now recognized the state of Palestine.
"The recognition of the state of Palestine is the realization of a fundamental, constant, and fundamental line of Portuguese foreign policy," Rangel told reporters at the headquarters of Portugal's permanent mission to the United Nations in New York.
He said that "Portugal advocates the two-state solution as the only path to a just and lasting peace...a cease-fire is urgent," adding Hamas "cannot have any form of control in Gaza or outside it" and demanding the release of all hostages.
Rangel also said that recognizing the state of Palestine "does not erase the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza," and he also condemned Israel's starvation of the enclave, the destruction it has caused, and the "expansion of Israeli settlements in the West Bank."
Portugal recognized Palestine alongside Britain, Canada and Australia.
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