UPDATES WITH STATEMENT FROM SLOVENIA’S FOREIGN MINISTRY
By Seda Sevencan
ISTANBUL (AA) - Slovenia’s government on Thursday endorsed a motion to recognize Palestine as a state, local media reported.
The government referred the motion to the National Assembly for final approval, Prime Minister Robert Golob said after the government session, according to the Slovenian Press Agency.
The National Assembly is expected to vote on the motion next week, the agency reported.
The country’s Foreign Ministry also said that the process of recognizing an independent Palestine “sends a strong signal to other countries” to follow the example of Slovenia, Ireland, Norway and Spain.
The ministry further said the recognition of Palestine reaffirms Slovenia’s role in the UN Security Council as a “promoter of peace (and) security” and the country’s long-standing position that “a lasting solution to the MiddleEast conflict can only be achieved through a two-state solution.”
“I am glad that the Slovenian Government made a historic step. The Israelis & Palestinians have the right to raise their children in peace, security and prosperity in their own states. The recognition of Palestine is the only way for the two countries and peoples to coexist in peace,” Slovenian Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon said.
“The number of like-minded European countries is growing, which is a clear sign that the EU is assuming a more active role in the resolution of this conflict,” Fajon added.
The move came just two days after Ireland, Norway and Spain formally recognized Palestinian statehood.
On May 9, the Slovenian government launched procedures to recognize the state of Palestine, according to the agency.
Israel has killed more than 36,200 Palestinians in the Gaza Strip since a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, which killed around 1,200 people.
The military campaign has turned much of the enclave of 2.3 million people into ruins, leaving most civilians homeless and at risk of famine.
Israel is accused of “genocide” at the International Court of Justice, which has ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.