Lankan Ranger
ELITE MEMBER
- Aug 9, 2009
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Sri Lanka to support Palestines bid for UN statehood recognition
Sri Lanka will support Palestines bid for UN recognition as an independent state, when the UN General Assembly meets later this month.
The Palestinian Ambassador Anwar H. Al-Agha told The Island that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had assured him of Sri Lankas backing for Palestines UN resolution.
Al-Agha said that 124 of the 193 UN member countries have already pledged their support to Palestine and they needed just five more votes to reach the required 129.
"Our ambassadors across the globe have launched a high profile diplomatic campaign and we are confident Insha Allah of obtaining a two thirds majority," he said adding that they have lost faith in America.
The 1967 borders including West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, which Israel captured, should serve as the basis for the creation of a Palestinian state, Al-Agha said.
Asked about the status of trading relations between Sri Lanka and Palestine, he said that their exports have been hit by the Israeli blockade, but they do import tea, coconut, spices and garments from Sri Lanka.
Al-Agha said that there were also tourist exchanges between the two countries with many Palestinians visiting Sri Lanka in recent years.
The State of Palestine was proclaimed in exile in Algiers on November 15, 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organizations (PLO) National Council (PNC), adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence
The 1974 Arab League summit designated the PLO as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and reaffirmed their right to establish an independent state of urgency". The PLO has had observer status at the UN as a "non-state entity" since November 22, 1974 which entitles it to speak in the UN General Assembly, but not to vote. After the Declaration of Independence, the UN General Assembly officially "acknowledged" the proclamation and voted to use the designation "Palestine" instead of "Palestine Liberation Organization," when referring to the Palestinian Permanent Observer.
The Island
Sri Lanka will support Palestines bid for UN recognition as an independent state, when the UN General Assembly meets later this month.
The Palestinian Ambassador Anwar H. Al-Agha told The Island that President Mahinda Rajapaksa had assured him of Sri Lankas backing for Palestines UN resolution.
Al-Agha said that 124 of the 193 UN member countries have already pledged their support to Palestine and they needed just five more votes to reach the required 129.
"Our ambassadors across the globe have launched a high profile diplomatic campaign and we are confident Insha Allah of obtaining a two thirds majority," he said adding that they have lost faith in America.
The 1967 borders including West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, which Israel captured, should serve as the basis for the creation of a Palestinian state, Al-Agha said.
Asked about the status of trading relations between Sri Lanka and Palestine, he said that their exports have been hit by the Israeli blockade, but they do import tea, coconut, spices and garments from Sri Lanka.
Al-Agha said that there were also tourist exchanges between the two countries with many Palestinians visiting Sri Lanka in recent years.
The State of Palestine was proclaimed in exile in Algiers on November 15, 1988, when the Palestine Liberation Organizations (PLO) National Council (PNC), adopted the unilateral Palestinian Declaration of Independence
The 1974 Arab League summit designated the PLO as the "sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people and reaffirmed their right to establish an independent state of urgency". The PLO has had observer status at the UN as a "non-state entity" since November 22, 1974 which entitles it to speak in the UN General Assembly, but not to vote. After the Declaration of Independence, the UN General Assembly officially "acknowledged" the proclamation and voted to use the designation "Palestine" instead of "Palestine Liberation Organization," when referring to the Palestinian Permanent Observer.
The Island
