Portuguese mediation in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is bearing fruits

The Government believes in the mediation work for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, stated the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pedro Duarte, during the current affairs discussion in Parliament scheduled by the political party Livre in recognising the "State of Palestine".

The "mediation work we are conducting isn’t perhaps the easiest path. The simplest would be to have a formal recognition at a moment, but which would probably bear little consequence", he said.

Pedro Duarte stressed that the Portuguese Government is trying through every channel "to make this more useful and effective than through a mere recognition".

The Minister reaffirmed the position shown in Parliament by the Minister of State and Foreign Affairs Paulo Rangel that Portugal "is striving for the two-state solution".

"When asked why Portugal hasn’t yet made that formal recognition, the answer, albeit not simple, is clear: because there are two paths trying to contribute to end this cycle of violence".

One is "through the recognition of Palestine, as several UN member states have done, yet we know that unfortunately that recognition does not represent a cease-fire". Another path is "advocating a broad and balanced discussion that will allow consensus on the way to move forward towards recognising Palestine, investing in discerning diplomatic action".

This action "is bearing fruits", he said, noting that Portugal’s position "is appreciated by the Palestinian Authority".

Pedro Duarte recalled that the Government, "who took the unilateral measure to ban arms exports to Israel, maintains bridges with the Israeli Government and is bent on bringing to the Palestinian cause the EU states that were reluctant on Palestine’s right of existence".