Spain Reiterates Support For Palestinian State

Spanish Foreign Minister Trinidad Jimenez expressed on Tuesday her country’s support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state.

This came during her meeting with visiting Palestinian President Mahmdoud Abbas.

Spanish Foreign Ministry reported that Abbas met with Jimenez and Spain’s King Juan Carlos at the start of a two-day visit to the country aimed at drumming up support for United Nations recognition of a Palestinian state.

“The minister expressed the desire to continue the work which has been carried out over the past years to strengthen ties and support efforts by the Palestinian National Authority to build a future Palestinian state,” the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Jimenez also told Abbas that the bid for UN recognition of a Palestinian state was “legitimate” and said Madrid would determine its position “based on the proposals that arise, in a constructive spirit”.

Abbas will Wednesday meet with Spanish Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero in Madrid before heading to Barcelona where he will hold talks with the new head of the Union for the Mediterranean, Morocco’s Youssef Amrani.