ISTANBUL 

Monaco announced Monday that it recognizes the state of Palestine.

Prince Albert II issued the statement at the High-level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution organized under the auspices of the UN and led by France and Saudi Arabia.

Stating that Monaco has always strongly supported both Israel’s right to live within secure and recognized borders and the Palestinian people's right to a sovereign and democratic state, Prince Albert said: "Today, we want to reaffirm our unwavering support for Israel's existence and at the same time recognize Palestine as a state under international law,"

“What I am doing here now, before you, is exactly that," he added.

He underlined that making progress toward a sustainable solution based on respect for fundamental rights has become more urgent and important than ever.

Underscoring that peace must not remain a distant and uncertain hope, Prince Albert vowed that they will continue to firmly advocate for the two-state solution as the path to lasting stability.

“Peace cannot be achieved by decree. It is built through a shared will," he concluded.

The Principality of Monaco is the second smallest independent state in the world after the Vatican, located on the Mediterranean coast in Western Europe.