France has said now is not the “right time” for it to join its European Union neighbors, Ireland and Spain, in recognizing Palestinian statehood.
The country’s Foreign Minister Stephane Séjourne stated this in a press conference on Wednesday, stressing that his government’s “position is clear” that the recognition of Palestinian statehood is “not a taboo” for France.
His remarks come after Spain, Norway and Ireland announced plans to formally recognize a Palestinian state.
DAILY POST reported that Irish foreign Minister Micheál Martin stated that the recognition will come into force in all three countries on May 28.
However, CNN reports that the France foreign minister stressed that such a decision is not merely a “symbolic issue or a question of political positioning” but rather a “diplomatic tool” in the service of the two-state solution in the Middle East.
Gaza: It’s not ‘right time’ to recognize Palestinian statehood – France