Lithuania favors broad European consensus on Palestinian state: Foreign minister

LONDON

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis on Thursday said that his country advocates for a broad European consensus on the recognition of a Palestinian state.

“We are probably looking for the broadest possible European solution,” Landsbergis told reporters while emphasizing that it is difficult to say at what point EU member states will agree on Palestine.

“The EU is divided into three groups: a group of states that is completely opposed to any step forward, a group that wants it to be done more quickly, and there is the centre,” the minister was quoted as saying by Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT.

According to Landsbergis, Lithuania's stance is that it "supports a two-state solution, while, of course, also respecting the principles of international law.”

The situation in the Gaza Strip is “really bad and causes great concern, Landsbergis added.

“While Israel has every right to defend itself against terrorist attacks and demand the release of abducted people, it must ensure the principles of civil-humanitarian law. This is where both Lithuania and many of its partners have doubts about compliance,” the minister said.

In March, Spain agreed with three other EU countries including Ireland, Malta and Slovenia, to take the initial steps towards recognizing the Palestinian state declaring its “readiness to recognise Palestine” when the circumstances are right.

"We are agreed that the only way to achieve lasting peace and stability in the region is through implementation of a two-state solution, with Israeli and Palestinian States living side-by-side, in peace and security," read a joint statement issued after the meeting held at the European Council in Brussels.

Arab states and the EU agreed at a meeting in Spain in November that a two-state solution should be the answer to the Palestinian-Israeli issue.