Chile, 5th Latin American Country in Recognition of Palestine as Independent State

Chile's recognition of Palestine

Published today 14:05

JERUSALEM (AFP) --

The Chilean government adopted on Friday a resolution "recognizing the existence of the state of Palestine as a free, independent and sovereign state," Foreign Minister Alfredo Moreno said in Santiago.

Late last year, Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador recognized Palestine as an independent state which they said was "within the 1967 borders."

Those were the boundaries that existed before Israel captured the West Bank, including east Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip in the June 1967 Six-Day War.

The borders of a final Palestinian state have been one of the thorniest issues in peace negotiations with Israel.

Direct talks between the two sides, the first for nearly two years, began on September 2 but stalled after a 10-month Israeli settlement-building freeze expired three weeks later.

In a New Year's Eve address, President Mahmoud Abbas urged the international community to come up with a new peace plan after months of US shuttle diplomacy failed to secure a fresh settlement freeze.

Chile recognizes Palestinian state

Published today (updated) 08/01/2011 14:06

SANTIAGO (Ma’an) –

Chilean president Sebastian Pinera announced Thursday that his country officially recognized an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.

Chilean Foreign Minister Mariano Fernandez told reporters that Chile had always supported the Palestinian people’s right to establish an independent state to live in peace with the State of Israel. He added that his country believed peace negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians should be supported by the international community to reach a peace agreement based on UN resolutions.

Fernandez also announced that the Chilean president would pay a visit to Israel and the Palestinian territories to reaffirm his support for peace negotiations and to foster his country's relations with Israel and Palestine.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki welcomed Chile's decision. He said President Mahmoud Abbas met with his Chilean counterpart and urged him to recognize a Palestinian state.

Chile is the latest in a string of Latin American countries to declare their recognition of independent Palestinian statehood, joining Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia and Ecuador and Venezuela.

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