Sweden’s newly-formed center-left government is set to become the first European Union member state to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven announced.
In his first speech to the Swedish parliament, Lofven said ‘’the conflict between Israel can only be solved with a two-state solution, negotiated in accordance with international law." ‘’The two-state solution requires mutual recognition and a will to peaceful co-existence,’’ he added.
“Sweden will therefore recognize the state of Palestine,” he concluded.
In November 2012, the UN General Assembly voted 138 to nine, with 41 abstentions, to change Palestine's ‘entity’ status to ‘non-member observer state’. Palestinian statehood is mainly opposed by Israel and the US.
Sweden’s former conservative government abstained in the 2012 General Assembly vote, for which it was criticized by the opposition parties.
In September, Sweden held parliament elections which resulted in a shift to the left after eight years of conservative rule. Lofven leads the Social Democrats who, with the Greens, hold a minority of seats in parliament.
On Friday, Lofven announced his new cabinet, with Green Party spokesperson Asa Romson as his Deputy and Social Democrat Margot Wallström as Foreign Minister.
The new PM promised to change Sweden’s foreign policy adding that Sweden won't seek membership of NATO, but won’t abstain from action if another country is attacked.