BRATISLAVA, July 27, (WEBNOVINY) – Slovak Foreign Ministry is convinced that progress in resolving the current stalemate in the Israeli – Palestinian conflict can be only achieved with existence of two independent states. However, if the UN is to be deciding on accepting Palestine as its new member at this September meeting of the General Assembly Slovakia will try not to go against a joint EU position, informed MFA spokeswoman Petra Greksova.
Palestinian authorities would like to achieve their statehood through the United Nations; the League of Arab States plans submitting a proposal for recognizing the Palestinian state at the upcoming General Assembly session. Scholar and university teacher Eduard Chmelar has come up with the initiative for Slovakia to support this proposal. “Therefore we turn to our top constitutional authorities, especially to President Ivan Gasparovic, Parliament Speaker Richard Sulik, Prime Minister Iveta Radicova and Foreign Minister Mikulas Dzurinda with an urgent call – that at the next session of the UN General Assembly, Slovakia supports accepting Palestine as a full-fledged 194th member of the UN with its voting, on the basis of its recent positions and historic experience,” writes Chmelar in his appeal. The appeal was also signed by thirteen other personalities, among them former United Nations Economic Commission for Europe Executive Secretary Brigita Schmognerova and People against Racism Chairwoman Irena Bihariova.
Slovakia still has not taken a definite position on how it will vote in September. “In the case that the Palestinian initiative reaches the UN, Slovakia will in the first place try to achieve a joint EU position. Only when the text of the resolution will be known, will it be possible to take an official position to the Palestine initiative,” Greksova said. According to Chmelar, some Latin American countries, the League of Arab States together with some influential EU countries such as Spain, France and the United Kingdom plan supporting Palestine. On the other hand, Israel and the United States oppose Palestine’s plan to use the UN to become an independent state. “In this issue, the EU is still much divided and Slovak position is still unclear. Yet more countries do have diplomatic relations with the Palestinian self-administration than with Israel,” Chmelar says, appealing to Slovakia to participate in resolving the issue more actively, utilizing Slovakia’s traditionally good relations with both sides – with Israel as well as with the Arab states.
SITA