<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, welcomed this Monday in New York the "new wave of recognition" of the State of Palestine and expressed his "solidarity with Estonia, Poland, and Romania for the unacceptable violations of its territorial integrity and airspace."</strong></h4> The minister made these statements before the start of the Informal Council of EU Foreign Ministers (FAC), held at the European Union Delegation in New York, within the framework of the Ministerial Week corresponding to the High-Level Week of the 80th Session of the United Nations General Assembly. According to Albares, the 2025 Ministerial "is not just any other year" because it comes at a time when "the values" that inspired the founding of the United Nations and the international cooperation that underpins it "are being openly challenged by Israel's war in Gaza, by Russia's war in Ukraine, and by those who believe there is a unilateral solution to global problems." "Spain, along with the rest of the Member States, is attending this week of the United Nations to defend those values, to make it clear that we Europeans always believe that cooperation is much stronger than confrontation, and that we do not accept Russia's unjustifiable aggression against Ukraine, nor endless and aimless violence, beyond turning Gaza into an immense cemetery and preventing a multi-state solution, a solution for Israel." The minister emphasized that "this is a week in which recognition of the Palestinian state will be at the center of attention," a "new wave of recognition that Spain initiated together with Ireland, Slovenia, and Norway just over a year ago, and therefore, we celebrate that so many countries—the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, France, Portugal, and so many others—are joining us." "This is the time to put it into practice, to make it clear and do everything in our power that we will not allow and will not have a natural and normal relationship with those who want to make the two-state solution unviable, and that we will do everything in our power, including sanctions," he continued. "I will continue to put on the table and encourage all member states to move forward with the package of sanctions against Israel that the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has put forward, and that Spain has been calling for for so long, because it is the least we can do," he announced. Likewise, he stated, "I will once again express our complete solidarity with Estonia, Poland, and Romania for the unacceptable violations of their territorial integrity and airspace, and I will guarantee them Spain's support and solidarity." "In short, this is a time to say no to war, no to the war in Gaza and Ukraine. Yes to the United Nations, yes to multilateralism, as Spain does every day and in its foreign policy," he concluded. <h5><strong>Kaja Kallas</strong></h5> At the press conference following the informal EAC, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Kaja Kallas stated that “the situation in Gaza is a devastating failure of humanity” and urged the Israeli government to “lift all humanitarian restrictions immediately.” “Settlement expansion and the annexation of territory are incompatible with peace, and it is clear that Hamas must lay down its arms and release all hostages,” she continued. “Ministers have made it clear that the two-state solution is the best chance of achieving a lasting peace,” because “this means a secure Israel and a viable Palestinian state,” she added. “All European countries support the two-state solution,” she asserted, and therefore, the recognition of Palestine by some Member States serves “to send a clear signal that European countries also support the Palestinians in this conflict.” Regarding the sanctions against Israel proposed by the European Commission, Kallas stated that "the majority of Member States that expressed their opinion" support "swift" action on this matter. "Therefore, we will definitely have discussions at the Foreign Affairs Council in October," but "it is difficult to know whether we will be able to reach a decision," she admitted.
