Montenegro defends recognition of Palestine in a “multilateral format”

Prime Minister Luis Montenegro said this Monday that the Portuguese government defends recognition of Palestine as a state “in a multilateral framework,” within the European Union (EU) and the United Nations (UN).

“We do not go as far as other governments when it comes to recognizing the State of Palestine because we argue that this understanding must be built within a multilateral framework, within the European Union and within the United Nations,” said Luis Montenegro in Madrid. at a press conference together with the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez.

Spain’s prime minister has already committed to recognizing a Palestinian state by July and has tried to mobilize other European countries to move forward with the decision along with the Madrid government.

Luis Montenegro considered that the positions of the governments of Portugal and Spain at the moment “are not so far from each other”, but said that they are not the same thing.

“We respect the efforts of all governments and, of course, also the Spanish government. Our position is not that far off, but in this case the truth is that the consecration of two states [Israel e Palestina]From our point of view, it should be built within a multilateral framework,” said Luis Montenegro.

Reiterating that Portugal will support Palestine’s bid for full UN membership at the United Nations Assembly – a debate currently underway within the organization – Luis Montenegro said the government believes “that this first step can be very important to achieve consecration two states,” as Portugal claims.

In response to questions from journalists, the Prime Minister insisted that the position of the current Portuguese government regarding the conflict in the Middle East and the situation in the Gaza Strip is that an immediate ceasefire is first necessary to guarantee humanitarian assistance in this Palestinian territory, which is experiencing “an absolutely catastrophic situation.”

For Luis Montenegro, a ceasefire could also “serve as a path” to “developing a road map for peace in the region.”

“The Portuguese government is also committed to international organizations, being part of this journey,” he also assured, before reaffirming Portugal’s support for the recognition of Palestine as a full member of the UN.

The ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip began on October 7 when Palestinian Islamists Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis, most of them civilians, in a surprise attack in southern Israel. About 250 people were taken hostage by Hamas and taken to Gaza.

Israel responded with bombings and ground offensives in Gaza that killed more than 33,700 Palestinians and wounded more than 76,200, according to Gaza’s health ministry.