BARCELONA: Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa and foreign ministers from several Middle Eastern countries in Madrid on Wednesday after Spain, Ireland and Norway officially recognized a Palestinian state.
Expressing gratitude for Spain’s recognition, Palestinian Prime Minister Mustafa extended a warm welcome to the Spanish leadership and Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares. “On behalf of President (Mahmoud) Abbas and the government of Palestine, the people of Palestine, we warmly welcome Spain’s recognition of the state of Palestine,” Mustafa said after their meeting with Spain’s prime minister and Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares.
Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan, who is leading the Foreign Ministerial Committee of Arabic and Islamic Countries for Gaza, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary General Hissein Brahim Taha, and representatives from Turkey and Jordan were also present during the meeting.
Spain’s recognition of Palestine adds to the growing list of countries acknowledging the Palestinian state, with 145 nations now officially recognizing it — a majority within the United Nations. Within the European Union, Spain and Ireland join seven other member states in recognizing Palestine, while Norway, although not part of the EU, aligns its foreign policy closely with the bloc.
The decision by Spain, Ireland, and Norway has garnered praise from Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, who urged other European partners to follow suit. Slovenia, an EU member, is set to decide on the recognition of Palestine on Thursday, further bolstering the international recognition of the Palestinian state.
The meeting in Madrid comes against the backdrop of ongoing tensions in Gaza, with Israel’s sustained assault resulting in significant civilian casualties. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, over 36,000 Palestinians have been killed in ongoing Israeli bombardment since the outbreak of hostilities on October 7.
