Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced that Malta will formally recognize Palestine as an independent state in June. He made the announcement on Sunday during a political event in the city of Mosta.

He stated that the official recognition will be made during an international conference at the United Nations headquarters in New York, co-hosted by France and Saudi Arabia. The conference will focus on the two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Malta has already welcomed a Palestinian ambassador and supported Palestine’s bid for full membership at the UN Security Council in April 2023. However, it has not yet formally recognized Palestine as a state.

Prime Minister Abela said, “We cannot remain silent in the face of the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. After more than four decades of discussion, the Maltese government is now moving forward with official recognition.”

Meanwhile, French Prime Minister François Bayrou recently announced that France, the United Kingdom, and Canada are also considering jointly recognizing Palestine. This recognition could be declared during the international conference scheduled from June 17 to 20.