<h6><strong>Eduardo González</strong></h6> <h4><strong>The Prime Minister, Pedro Sánchez, and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, José Manuel Albares, welcomed the decision of the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia to recognize the Palestinian state, a process in which Spain "paved the way" that "many others" have followed.</strong></h4> "We were the first," Sánchez wrote on social media. "The United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia will not be the last," he continued. "Together, for the implementation of two states in which Israelis and Palestinians can live together in peace," he concluded. "Spain paved the way for the recognition of the State of Palestine for many others who are taking the step now," Albares wrote. "We celebrate it. Definitive peace in the Middle East requires a two-state solution: a viable State of Palestine living alongside the State of Israel in peace and security," he added. This new round of recognitions and Spain's celebration coincide with the start, in New York, of the High-Level Week of the eightieth session of the United Nations General Assembly. An event that will be clearly marked by the holding of the International Conference on Palestine (which takes place this Monday) and by the more than predictable hostile attitude of the host country, the United States, whose president, Donald Trump, has vetoed the entry of the Palestinian representation for the first time in many years. The King and Sánchez lead the Spanish delegation, and Albares will participate in the so-called United Nations Ministerial Week, the first chapter of which took place this Sunday with a ministerial meeting on the Middle East, in which the Secretary of State for Foreign and Global Affairs (SEAGS), Diego Martínez Belío, warned that the world is facing the greatest challenge of the modern era in the Middle East and, therefore, "we must act, not just react, to ensure that from the various crises a real opportunity arises to consolidate peace and stability" in the region. Likewise, Martínez Belío reiterated at this meeting—organized by Qatar and the European Union and held at the International Peace Institute (IPI)—"the warning that Spain has been issuing, not only because of the devastation and unbearable humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but also because of the extremely dangerous risk of a broader regional escalation and instability with unpredictable consequences," the Foreign Ministry reported in a press release on Monday. "We must assume our responsibility to effectively confront violations and preserve the international architecture through concrete actions to enforce an end to the war in Gaza and a de-escalation of tensions in Lebanon, Syria, Iran, and Yemen," said Martínez Belío, who advocated for exercising collective influence—both bilaterally, regionally, and multilaterally.
