Liberman allegedly refuses to meet Swedish Foreign Minster due to October recognition of Palestine

Sweden's Foreign Minister has indefinitely postponed an official state visit to Israel in light of claims that the Jewish State's own Foreign Minister, Avigdor Liberman refused to meet her, AFP reported Thursday.

Swedish FM: We hope Israeli ambassador will return

Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström said Friday that relations between her country and Israel are still intact and expressed hope that Israeli Ambassador Isaac Bachman will soon return to Stockholm.

In an interview with AFP, Wallström touched on her back-and-forth with Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman, saying it was all in good humor.

"Right time" to recognize Palestinian state, Swedish FM tells FRANCE 24

Sweden became the first major Western country to officially recognise the state of Palestine on Thursday. The country's foreign minister tells FRANCE 24 why her government believes it is time other European countries followed suit.

Speaking from Stockholm, Margot Wallström said the "legal requirements" for recognition had been fulfilled.

"There is a people, there is a territory and there is a government," she said.

Israeli foreign minister says Sweden’s recognition of State of Palestine regrettable

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman on Thursday described Sweden’s recognition of the State of Palestine as “regrettable.”

Lieberman said Sweden’s step considerably complicated the efforts on the Middle East settlement.

Spain to vote on recognizing Palestinian state (media Reports)

Spain would be following close on the U.K.'s heels, after Monday's motion was passed...

The Spanish legislature announced it will soon hold a vote on the recognition of a Palestinian state, Al-Arabiya news site reported early Sunday morning.

On Monday, the British parliament overwhelmingly in favor of a non-binding motion supporting recognition of a Palestinian state. Their vote will not alter government policy, but it does carry symbolic value as Palestinians pursue international recognition.

Liberman meets Italian FM, says unilateral recognition of 'Palestine' hurts peace prospects

Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman met with his Italian counterpart Federica Mogherini on Wednesday to discuss the latest developments in the region.

Liberman warned the Italian foreign minister, who is set to replace Catherine Ashton as the EU foreign affairs chief, of the dangers posed to the continent by Europeans who volunteered to fight alongside Islamic State in Syria returning home and spreading terror.

French FM: If peace talks prove impossible, we'll recognize Palestinian state

REUTERS - France's foreign minister said on Tuesday that Paris should recognize a Palestinian state only if doing so would help achieve peace, not as a symbolic gesture.

However, if negotiations between the Palestinians and Israel fail, Paris "would not shirk its responsibilities" but would recognize the Palestinian state, the minister, Laurent Fabius, said in answer to a question in parliament.

His remarks came a day after British lawmakers voted to recognize Palestine. Their vote will not alter government policy, but it does carry symbolic value as Palestinians pursue international recognition.

UK policy towards Palestine not set to change. “We reserve the right to bilaterally recognize a Palestinian State at a moment of our choosing and when it can best help bring about peace.”

Britain has said that it does not intend to change its policy towards Palestine and recognize statehood, despite lawmaker’s recognition Monday.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said in a statement to the Anadolu Agency on Tuesday that “Britain is committed to the two state solution: a sovereign, independent, democratic, contiguous and viable Palestinian State - living in peace and security, side by side with Israel.”

Foreign Ministry blasts British MPs' vote favoring Palestinian statehood

The Foreign Ministry denounced British lawmakers for overwhelmingly approving a non-binding resolution on Monday night to recognize Palestinian statehood.

A communique published late Monday by the Israeli Embassy in London criticized the vote carried out by MPs in Britain's lower house of parliament, stressing that, "The route to Palestinian statehood runs through the negotiating room."

UK MPs pass vote recognizing Palestine. (274 in favor to 12 votes against -Symbolic value)

British lawmakers on Monday voted overwhelmingly in favor of recognizing Palestine as a state, a result that experts say is largely symbolic.
The motion - which is non-binding - was passed by 274 in favor to 12 votes against, to “recognize the state of Palestine alongside the state of Israel” as part of a “contribution to securing a negotiated two-state solution.”
The motion comes only a week after Sweden’s new center-left government is set to officially recognize Palestine – a move that has been condemned by Israel, which says an independent Palestine can only be achieved through negotiations.

British parliament to hold symbolic vote on Palestine status

British lawmakers will next week hold a symbolic parliamentary vote on whether the government should recognize Palestine as a state, a move unlikely to shift official policy but designed to raise the political profile of the issue.

Britain does not class it as a state, but says it could do so at any time if it believed it would help the peace process between the Palestinians and Israel.

Sweden clarifies: Recognition of Palestinian state will go hand in hand with negotiations

The newly-formed Swedish government, which took office on October 3, stirred up controversy on Friday when it it would recognize the state of Palestine, becoming the first major European country to do so.

"US won’t decide our policies" – Sweden on Palestinian state recognition

Washington will not be the one to decide Sweden’s policies, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallström said after the US criticized Stockholm’s plans to officially recognize Palestine as a sovereign state.
“It's not the US that decides our politics,” Wallström said, adding that the new Swedish authorities expected to “get criticism” after their announcement on Palestinian statehood.
Wallström added that Sweden's new authorities expected to “get criticism” after their announcement on Palestinian statehood.

Palestine Not Ready for Statehood: US Department of State

WASHINGTON, October 4 - Washington considers international recognition of Palestinian state premature, US Department of State Spokeswoman Jen Psaki stated at a press briefing Friday.
"We believe international recognition of a Palestinian state is premature," Psaki said during the briefing. "We certainly support Palestinian statehood but it can only come through a negotiated outcome, a resolution of final status issues and mutual recognition by both parties," Psaki said.
"I don't think that we've seen evidence that they're willing and able to either at this point in time," she concluded.

Palestinian government hails recognition by Sweden. Al-Maliki called on other European countries to follow

RAMALLAH. - The Palestinian government on Friday welcomed an announcement by Sweden that it planned to formally recognize the State of Palestine.
In a statement, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki voiced "thanks and appreciation for the Swedish position, which supports the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to self-determination and an independent state."
Al-Maliki called on other European countries to follow suit in order to achieve comprehensive peace in the Middle East and to "send a strong message to Israel to stop destroying the peace process based on a two-state solution."

Sweden to Recognize State of Palestine. Sweden would be the first country to recognize Palestine while being a member of the European Union.

STOCKHOLM— Sweden's new center-left government will recognize the state of Palestine in a move that will make it the first major European country to take the step, Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said on Friday.
The U.N. General Assembly approved the de facto recognition of the sovereign state of Palestine in 2012, but the European Union, and most EU countries, have yet to give official recognition.
“The conflict between Israel can only be solved with a two-state solution, negotiated in accordance with international law,” Lofven said during his inaugural address in parliament.

L' Ossétie du Sud a reconnu l'indépendance de la RPD

Une demande de reconnaissance adressée au président de l'Ossétie du Sud Leonid Tibilov et signée par le président du Conseil suprême de la RPD Dennis Pouchiline a été reçue précédemment par l'administration sud-ossétienne.

Selon le décret de Tibilov, l'Ossétie du Sud, en tenant compte de la volonté du peuple de la RPD, la reconnaît comme un Etat indépendant et souverain.