The Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, met with the Palestinian Prime Minister, Mohammad Mustafa, alongside other members of the Joint Arab Islamic Ministerial Committee on Gaza in Madrid on Wednesday.
Sanchez, who formally recognized a Palestinian statse on Tuesday, posted about the meeting via X:
"It has been an honor to receive the Arab-Islamic Ministerial Committee on Gaza a day after Spain recognized Palestine as a state. We share with the Arab countries the will and commitment to end violence and make a two-state solution a reality. We trust this recognition will restore the Palestinian people's hope for future peace, security, and prosperity in the region."
Ha sido un honor recibir al Comité Ministerial Árabe-Islámico sobre Gaza un día después de que España haya reconocido a Palestina como Estado. Compartimos con los países árabes la voluntad y el compromiso de poner fin a la violencia y hacer realidad la solución de los dos… pic.twitter.com/LeQVG3rEpE
— Pedro Sánchez (@sanchezcastejon) May 29, 2024
Joint Arab Islamic Ministerial Committee
According to the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the committee was headed by Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan.
Also attending were Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, Qatari Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Ayman Al-Safadi, Jordanian Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs; Hakan Fidan, Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs; and Mr. Hussein Ibrahim Taha, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Madrid, Spain.
The meeting was reportedly held to discuss the current events in Gaza, as well as "the need to take the necessary steps to implement the two-state solution by establishing the Palestinian State on the borders of June 4, 1967, with east Jerusalem as its capital, in light of the Arab Peace Initiative and relevant international initiatives."
They called for "immediate ceasefire," a halt of "Israeli aggression" in the Gaza strip, and the introduction of "sustainable humanitarian aid."
The ministers "expressed their appreciation for the Kingdom of Spain's recognition of the State of Palestine and their commitment to continue to provide all means of support to activate the recognition of the Palestinian state," said the Saudi Foreign Ministry.
They expressed commitment to "the Palestinian people [...] in the face of extremism, the spread of violence, and the continuation of violations of international law.
Prince Faisal thanked Spain and said its move gave “hope in a very dark time," continued the report.
“We are here to say thank you to Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Slovenia for taking the right decision at the right time, for being on the right side of history, for being on the right side of justice with all the dark we are seeing as a result of the continuing human catastrophe in Gaza,” said Prince Faisal, according to Saudi state media.
“This is the right moment to give a beacon of hope to the two-state solution, to peace, to coexistence, and for that, we thank you, and we hope that others will follow suit because the only way forward is the path to peace and the path to peace goes through a two-state solution, through a state of Palestine that lives in peace and harmony with all its neighbors including Israel."