Luxembourg: Luxembourg announced its intention to join the countries that will recognize the State of Palestine during the upcoming United Nations General Assembly meeting in New York next week.

According to Qatar News Agency, Luxembourg’s Foreign Minister Xavier Bettel confirmed earlier remarks made by Prime Minister Luc Frieden. Frieden had informed members of the Grand Duchy’s Foreign Affairs Committee in a closed meeting that his government was committed to a two-state solution.

Frieden stated that his government was convinced that the two-state formula offered the only path to lasting peace in the region. He acknowledged that such peace would not be achieved overnight but described recognition of Palestine as a step demonstrating that the solution remained possible. He added that for this reason, Luxembourg intended to join the states recognizing Palestine at next week’s conference on the two-state solution.

The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomed Luxembourg’s plan, calling it a courageous position consistent with international law and UN resolutions and part of broader efforts to advance calm and peace on the basis of two states.

Several other countries, including the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and Canada, have recently announced similar intentions to recognize Palestine during the General Assembly session, following a proposal drafted by France and Saudi Arabia.

Last Friday, the UN General Assembly voted by an overwhelming majority to adopt the ‘New York Declaration,’ which lays out concrete, time-bound, and irreversible steps toward implementing a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians ahead of the next session scheduled for Sep. 22. Out of the UN’s 193 member states, at least 149 already recognize the Palestinian state declared by the Palestinian leadership in exile in 1988.