Palestinian Prime Minister Calls on Germany to Recognize the State of Palestine
Ramallah, Thursday, February 10, 2022 –
Dr. Mohammed Shtayyeh, the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine, called on Germany to advance the peace process by recognizing the state of Palestine, believing in and preserving the two-state solution.
Annalena Baerbock, the office holder of the Federal Foreign Office, met today with the Prime Minister of the State of Palestine, His Excellency DR. Mohammed Shtayyeh. The meeting took place at the prime minister’s office in Ramallah.
In the presence of Riyad Al-Maliki, the minister of foreign affairs, and Olivier Ovcha, the representative of Germany to Palestine, the Prime Minister renewed his calls to put pressure on Israel to respect and adhere to the agreements reached with it for the political process to be on the right track.
Moreover, the Prime Minister expressed his appreciation of the German-Palestinian friendly relations, their continuous support in numerous sectors, and their assistance in institution-building for Palestine's goal of becoming an independent state.
His Excellency pointed out that the continuous Israeli occupation authorities’ actions aggravate the political and economic situation in Palestine. The continuation of the Israeli occupation, severe movement restrictions through the proliferation of checkpoints, daily raids, the ongoing siege of the Gaza Strip, and the isolation of Jerusalem from other Palestinian cities surrounding it.
Dr. Shtayyeh stressed that for the peace process to succeed, it is essential to put in place an honest broker in the peace process, measures for confidence-building between the parties, and clear agreed-upon terms of reference and timeframe.
The Prime Minister said, "The Palestinian people are the victims of the Israeli occupation; the ones who have suffered a great loss of lives and properties, and the ones whose culture, history, and land are encroached by the Israeli occupation." He went on to say that "We want an enduring peace based on truth and justice."
Finally, Dr. Shtayyeh emphasized Germany’s active role in the European Union and that Europe has the ability, through the Quartet, to fill the political void that the region is currently experiencing.