ISTANBUL

Palestine's Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian expressed hope that Japan recognizes the state of Palestine at the earliest.

"I think Japan is a peace-loving country and a law-abiding country and respects human rights ... and as such it's only natural that it would come forward with recognition," the minister said in an interview with Kyodo News in Ramallah, the occupied West Bank, on Sunday.

"I hope they change their mind as soon as possible," she added, stressing that a genocide has been occurring in the Gaza Strip since 2023.

Aghabekian expressed her "disappointment" with Japan's decision not to recognize Palestinian statehood for now and urged Tokyo to revisit its stance.

Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi said on Friday that Japan would hold off recognizing a Palestinian state and "in due course" announce any steps toward recognizing Palestine.

"But the question remaining is when that will be, when the timing of that will be," Iwaya said.

Aghabekian said, "It was clear that Japan, at this specific time, will not recognize because the argument is that they need to study and go through a process. But my response to that is, how much longer do you need to study under the circumstances that we are currently facing?" she said.

Aghabekian pointed to reports "all over saying that genocide is being committed, that violations in the West Bank are against international law."

She also underscored the importance of empowering the Palestinian Authority for the realization of the two-state solution.

Aghabekian said that humanitarian and other aid can be reduced "if we have control of our own state and our own resources."

On Sunday, the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal announced the recognition of Palestine, bringing the total number of UN member states that have taken this step to 153 out of 193.

Many other countries -- including Malta, Luxembourg, France, Belgium, and Armenia -- declared plans to extend the recognition during the UN General Assembly’s 80th session this week in New York.

UN investigators recently concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, where more than 65,000 people have been killed since October 2023.