Norway recognises Palestinian state as of May 28

Norway's prime minister says Norway is formally recognizing Palestine as a state.

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre said on Wednesday: "There cannot be peace in the Middle East if there is no recognition."

Gahr Støre said the Scandinavian country will officially recognize a Palestinian state as of May 28.

Several European Union countries have in the past weeks indicated that they plan to make the recognition, arguing a two-state solution is essential for lasting peace in the region.

Norway, which is not a member of the European Union but mirror its moves, has been an ardent supporter of a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians.
"Palestine has a fundamental right to an independent state," Gahr Støre told a press conference.
The Scandinavian country "will therefore regard Palestine as an independent state with all the rights and obligations that entails," Gahr Støre said.

Norway's recognition of a Palestine state comes more than 30 years after the first Oslo agreement was signed in 1993.

Since then, "the Palestinians have taken important steps towards a two-state solution," the Norwegian government said.

It said that the World Bank determined that Palestine had met key criteria to function as a state in 2011, that national institutions have been built up to provide the population with important services.
"The war in Gaza and the constant expansion of illegal settlements in the West Bank still mean that the situation in Palestine is more difficult than it has been in decades," the Norwegian government said.