Spain, Ireland, Malta, Slovenia agree to work towards recognizing a state of Palestie

GAZA: Spain has agreed with the leaders of Ireland, Malta and Slovenia to take the first steps towards recognizing an independent state of Palestine, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said today following a meeting of the European Council in Brussels. Sanchez told reporters that he expects the recognition to happen during the current four-year legislature that began last year, adding that an agreement was reached after meeting with his Irish, Maltese and Slovenian counterparts on Friday morning. 'We are agreed that the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region is through implementation of a two-state solution, with Israeli and Palestinian States living side-by-side, in peace and security,' read a joint statement issued by Ireland after the meeting. Arab states and the European Union agreed at a meeting in Spain in November that a two-state solution was the answer to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Source: Palestine news & Information Agency – WAFA