MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Argentina and Mercosur associates recognize the State of Palestine

Argentina’s Foreign Affairs minister makes the announcement

President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner's administration announced Monday via Foreign Minister Héctor Timerman that Argentina recognizes Palestine as “a free and independent state, within the frontiers in existence since 1967.”

The recognition was made through a personal letter from the Argentine head of state to the president of the Palestine Authority, Mahmoud Abbas, revealed Timmerman. Apparently the official request was made during the Palestine president’s visit to Argentina last year.

The announcement follows a similar one from Brazil three days ago.

“The Argentine government shares with its Mercosur associates, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay that the moment has come to recognize Palestine as a free and independent state”, underlined Timmerman.

Palestine Ambassador to Argentina Walid Muaqqat celebrated the decision made by the Argentina government and said that the announcement “gives a strong push to the ongoing negotiations.”

“We highly value the Argentine decision to recognize the State of Palestine with its borders 4 June 1967 and East Jerusalem as its capital, because this position places the two sides involved in the conflict in equal terms”, said Ambassador Muaggat.

He added that the Argentine government's decision is a “non-violent reaction that the international community should emulate in response to the expansion and continuous illegal construction of Israeli settlements on Palestine territory that endangers the possibility of finding a solution” on behalf of both sides.

The Argentine Foreign Affairs ministry said that recognition is in the framework of the country’s traditional position to defend “the right of the Palestine people to constitute an independent State, within secure, internationally recognized borders”.

The release adds that Argentina joins over a hundred other states that have recognized the State of Palestine and is evidence of the international community’s growing consensus regarding the status of Palestine, “as well as the overall willingness that decisive advances in the peace process can be achieved”.

Israeli ambassador in Buenos Aires Daniel Gazit said that “the Argentine recognition of Palestine as an independent state will not affect the “very good relations” between Argentina and Israel, and the Jewish state hopes that the decision will help speed up the peace process”.

“The declaration doesn't affect our relations whatsoever. The bilateral relations between Argentina and Israel are very good. We are also looking for positive relations with the Palestinians,” said Gazit.

“It is also our wish that there be a free and independent Palestine state that can exist alongside and in peace with Israel,” he said.

From Montevideo, Uruguayan Deputy Foreign Affairs minister Roberto Conde said that the formal recognition of Palestine will take place in coming weeks and advanced that Uruguay has plans to open an embassy in Ramallah. 

In 1967, following the Six Days war, Israel occupied the West Bank, East Jerusalem (which was later annexed) and the Gaza Strip, all of which are territories that the Palestinians are claiming for their state. Israel withdrew itself from Gaza in 2005, but retains control of a large part of the West Bank and East Jerusalem.