Portugal announced on Friday that it will formally recognise a Palestinian state this coming Sunday, according to a statement from its Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Official Declaration of Recognition will precede a High-Level Conference scheduled for next week, the ministry confirmed.
Earlier this week, Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel noted during a visit to the UK that Lisbon was weighing the step of recognition, reports news agencies.
Spain, along with Ireland and Norway, extended recognition in May 2024 under its left-leaning government and urged other European Union nations to follow suit. Portugal, however, had until now preferred to move cautiously, stressing the need to coordinate a collective approach with fellow EU members.
So far, recognition within the 27-member bloc remains limited, mostly to former Communist states in Eastern Europe as well as Sweden and Cyprus.
The United Nations General Assembly in 2012 voted to upgrade Palestine’s position from an “entity” to a “non-member state,” granting it de facto recognition at the world body.
Israel’s ongoing war with Hamas in Gaza, which has resulted in widespread destruction, starvation, and heavy civilian casualties, has intensified international calls for recognition of Palestinian statehood.
