Valletta - Saba:
Malta announced that it will officially declare its recognition of the State of Palestine next September. This came in a speech by the Permanent Secretary at the Maltese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Christopher Cutajar, on Wednesday, during a high-level international conference held in New York.
Cutajar confirmed that recognizing Palestine as a state is an important step, noting that Malta has long supported the Palestinian people's right to self-determination.
Cutajar added, saying: “The Maltese government has decided to recognize the State of Palestine during the United Nations General Assembly next September.”
Earlier on Wednesday, 15 Western countries, including France, launched a joint call to recognize the State of Palestine and to establish a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The statement was published by the French Foreign Ministry on its official website.