Portugal Backs Formation of Independent Palestinian State
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – The foreign minister of Portugal expressed his country’s support for the establishment of an independent Palestinian state, calling for collective efforts to relieve the regional tensions.
In a telephone conversation with his Iranian counterpart on Friday, Portugal’s newly-appointed Foreign Minister Paulo Rangel called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
“The Portuguese government supports the formation of an independent Palestinian state and calls on all regional countries to make efforts in order to ease the tensions in the region,” he added.
For his part, Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian urged that the Zionist regime’s war and genocide in Gaza should stop and the rights of the oppressed people of Palestine should be respected.
He also denounced the Zionist regime as the “root cause of all tensions and the deteriorating situation in the region.”
Amirabdollahian also pointed to the relations between Iran and Portugal, saying they share a history of good and long-standing ties.
The two foreign ministers further talked about a Portuguese-flagged Israeli ship seized recently by the Iranian naval forces.
“We seriously consider the release of the ship’s crew as a humanitarian issue, and we have announced to their ambassadors in Tehran their access to consular services, release and extradition,” Amirabdollahian said, the Foreign Ministry’s website reported.
