GAZA, October 30 (RIA Novosti) — President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas has welcomed on Thursday the decision of Sweden to recognize the Palestinian Authority as a state.
"The president of Palestine Mahmoud Abbas welcomes the historic decision of the kingdom of Sweden to recognize Palestine as a state," Abbas' Spokesperson Nabil Abu Rudeineh told reporters Thursday.
"Those countries which are still slow in recognizing our right to an independent state within the 1967 borders and with the capital in Eastern Jerusalem, should follow Sweden's example," Abu Rudeineh added.
On Thursday, the Sweden government officially recognized the Palestinian Authority as an independent state, thus becoming the first EU member to have done so. Earlier on the day, Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom stated that all the criteria in this regard had been observed.
There have been no official comments from Israel as yet. However, early this month when such possible decision by Sweden loomed large, Israel summoned the Swedish ambassador in Jerusalem.
In 2012, the UN General Assembly accorded the Palestinian Authority the status of "non-member observer state" and asserted their right to self-determination within the territories of the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Eastern Jerusalem occupied by Israel in 1967.
