[Salon] T&T officially recognises the State of Palestine
- To: salon@listserve.com
- Subject: [Salon] T&T officially recognises the State of Palestine
- From: Chas Freeman <cwfresidence@gmail.com>
- Date: Fri, 3 May 2024 17:48:23 -0400
- Authentication-results: mlm2.listserve.net; dkim=pass (2048-bit key) header.d=gmail.com header.i=@gmail.com header.b="Ndmtcrph"
- Dkim-filter: OpenDKIM Filter v2.11.0 mlm2.listserve.net 5C27DB0851
https://www.guardian.co.tt/news/tt-officially-recognises-the-state-of-palestine-6.2.1992136.6f18cc53c9
T&T officially recognises the State of
Palestine
May 2, 2024
HUNG CHIN LIU
Trinidad and Tobago now joins several other CARICOM
countries in formally recognising the State of Palestine.
The decision was taken by Cabinet today, according to the
Ministry of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs.
"Today’s Cabinet decision is consistent with these public
statements by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign
and CARICOM Affairs," the Ministry said in a release.
Trinidad and Tobago has consistently called for a two-State
solution as a way out of the conflict.
In October 2023, Prime Minister Rowley said T&T
recognises Israel’s right to exist and also the right of the
Palestinians to a State of their own.
"Recognition of Palestine is moral and just and demonstrates
Trinidad and Tobago’s acknowledgement of and support for the
legitimate aspirations of the Palestinian People,” today’s
release noted.
It added: "In the seven months since the start of the war in
Gaza, Senator the Honourable Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of
Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, has articulated the position of
Trinidad and Tobago on this issue; condemned the killing of
civilians in Gaza and Israel; expressed support for the
two-State solution; and called for an immediate ceasefire,
the exercise of restraint, regard for civilian lives and
welfare, dialogue and diplomacy."
141 other countries recognise Palestine as a State. Jamaica
and Barbados were the two most recent CARICOM countries to
do so.
The following is the full text of the release…
RECOGNITION BY TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO OF THE STATE OF PALESTINE
PORT OF SPAIN: 02ND MAY 2024
The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has
taken the decision, at its meeting of Cabinet today, to
formally recognise the State of Palestine. As recommended by
the Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, Cabinet has
determined that the formal recognition of Palestine by the
Republic of Trinidad and Tobago will assist in the
achievement of a lasting peace by strengthening the growing
international consensus on the issue of Palestinian
statehood.
Trinidad and Tobago has a long history of principled support
for the right of the Palestinian people to
self-determination. The Government’s consistent position is
that a two-State solution is the only way out of the ongoing
cycle of violence. This is our consistent foreign policy
position, which is founded on Trinidad and Tobago’s respect
for and adherence to international law and to the principles
of the Charter of the United Nations.
This support has been consistently demonstrated through the
endorsement by Trinidad and Tobago of key resolutions on
Palestine at the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).
Such resolutions include Resolution 67/19, which accorded
Palestine Non-Member Observer State status in the UNGA, and
the annual resolutions of the UNGA on the Permanent
sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem, and of the
Arab population in the occupied Syrian Golan over their
natural resources and the Peaceful settlement of the
question of Palestine. Since the outbreak of the most recent
round of violent conflict in Gaza in October 2023, Trinidad
and Tobago also supported resolutions adopted at the
Emergency Special Sessions of the UNGA held on October 27
and December 10, 2023, on the Protection of civilians and
upholding legal and humanitarian obligations.
On the issue of Palestinian statehood, Dr. the Honourable
Keith Rowley, Prime Minister, is on record at the
post-Cabinet media briefing of October 26, 2023 as stating
as follows: “The position of Trinidad and Tobago on that
matter remains the same. It is that we support the two-State
policy, where peace and sustainable development can come to
the people of the Middle East, Israel and its neighbours,
recognizing Israel’s right to exist and also the right of
the Palestinians to a State of their own. That is Trinidad
and Tobago’s position, that was our position. That is our
position, war or no war, because we believe it is the only
option, of all the options available, that provides any
possibility for a recession of the hostility and the hatred
to be replaced by peaceful coexistence.”
Further, in the seven months since the start of the war in
Gaza, Senator the Honourable Dr. Amery Browne, Minister of
Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, has articulated the position of
Trinidad and Tobago on this issue; condemned the killing of
civilians in Gaza and Israel; expressed support for the
two-State solution; and called for an immediate ceasefire,
the exercise of restraint, regard for civilian lives and
welfare, dialogue and diplomacy.
Today’s Cabinet decision is consistent with these public
statements by the Prime Minister and the Minister of Foreign
and CARICOM Affairs.
Trinidad and Tobago has been a longstanding advocate of the
two-State solution, as we believe that this is the only
credible path to peace and security for Palestinians, the
Israelis and, by extension, the wider region. Recognition of
Palestine is moral and just and demonstrates Trinidad and
Tobago’s acknowledgement of and support for the legitimate
aspirations of the Palestinian People. Trinidad and Tobago
will join 141 other countries that recognize Palestine,
Algeria being the first to have done so in 1988.-
This archive was generated by a fusion of
Pipermail (Mailman edition) and
MHonArc.