France formally announces to recognise state of Palestine

New York (Web Desk): French President Emmanuel Macron, while addressing the United Nations (UN) in New York, announced that France has officially recognized the State of Palestine.

He declared that the time had come to pursue peace and that the violence in Gaza had no justification. Alongside France, several European countries, including Belgium, Luxembourg, Malta, Andorra, and San Marino, are also set to recognize Palestinian statehood during the current session of the UN General Assembly.

This wave of recognition follows similar announcements earlier from the United Kingdom (UK), Canada, Australia, and Portugal. Pakistan was represented at the conference by Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, although he was not among the speakers, who included leaders from Turkiye, Australia, Brazil, Canada, and other nations. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who reached New York on Monday, did not attend the proceedings.

In a statement, the Foreign Office confirmed Pakistan’s participation in the event. On social media platform X, Foreign Minister Dar welcomed the new recognitions, recalling that Pakistan was among the first states to acknowledge Palestine after its 1988 declaration of independence.

He urged all countries yet to do so to recognize Palestine in accordance with their responsibilities under international law.

Today I attended the High-Level Int’l Conference on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, co-chaired by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and France, at the #UN Headquarters. #Pakistan welcomes announcements on…

— Ishaq Dar (@MIshaqDar50) September 22, 2025

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, unable to secure a visa from the United States, delivered his remarks via video link.

He appealed to those nations that have not yet recognized Palestine to take that step and expressed hope that Palestine would achieve full UN membership. Abbas also pledged to carry out reforms and hold elections within a year once a ceasefire is in place.

The meeting, which placed emphasis on advancing the two-state solution, took place at a moment when several Western powers, in a departure from longstanding policy, have agreed to extend recognition to Palestine.

The United Kingdom, whose 1917 Balfour Declaration played a central role in the creation of Israel, also inaugurated the Palestinian embassy in London on Monday.

This high-level gathering followed up on a summit held in July that produced the New York Declaration, which was later endorsed by the UN General Assembly on September 12.