Prime Minister Shtayyeh urges Germany to recognize Palestine

By Qais Abu Samra

RAMALLAH (AA) – Palestine’s Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh met Germany’s Minister of State at the Federal Foreign Office Tobias Lindner in Ramallah on Thursday.

Shtayyeh urged Germany to recognize the state of Palestine in line with Berlin’s “belief in the option of the two-state solution and the importance of preserving it,” according to a statement by the premier’s office.

He warned that Israel’s settlement expansion will “destroy any chance of establishing a viable and geographically contiguous Palestinian state on the basis of the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital.”

Referring to recent demolition of homes in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces, Shtayyeh accused Israel of negating “all forms of support provided by the international community to Palestine,” the statement said.

He called for international intervention to pressure Israel to abide by agreements signed with Palestinians.

Linder reiterated Germany’s commitment to “the two-state solution and its support for achieving peace and stability in the region,” the statement added.