"It is fundamental to continue supporting the two-state solution. Only this solution, only a peaceful resolution to this conflict that has been going on for so many years, will be able to bring peace to the Middle East. And to have a two-state solution, we have to effectively have two states", the diplomat stressed, in an interview with Lusa, in New York.

"Therefore, the international recognition of Palestine here, at the United Nations, is very important. The vote at the General Assembly was quite broad: 143 countries in favor of recognizing the rights of Palestine and an insistent request to the Security Council to reanalyze this dossier soon", added the ambassador, who will leave office this month.

In an interview given to Lusa before the announcement by Spain, Ireland and Norway to jointly recognize the State of Palestine, Ana Paula Zacarias referred to the resolution adopted on May 10 at the UN General Assembly, where the overwhelming support of 143 countries - including Portugal - granted "additional rights and privileges" to Palestine and appealed to the Security Council to favorably reconsider its request for full membership to the organization, at a time when it maintains the status of "observer state".

The elevation to the status of member state is not in the hands of the General Assembly, but rather of the Security Council, which on April 18 denied it to Palestine due to the exclusive veto of the United States, which promises to once again block the Palestinian aspiration if the issue is voted on again.

However, taking into account the efforts that are being developed on the ground by a group of countries, the Portuguese diplomat said she is "convinced" that this "dossier will surely evolve", hoping that this evolution will effectively lead to the creation of two states: Israel and Palestine.

Ana Paula Zacarias stressed that Portugal has always repudiated the Hamas attack against Israel, continues to demand the unconditional release of the hostages and accepts Israel's right to self-defense.

"But Portugal has also had a very clear position in saying that the Palestinian population cannot be, as a whole, penalized for this situation" and that "it is necessary that International Law and the rights of these people be taken into account", she reinforced, defending that "Israel has to comply with International Humanitarian Law".

"Therefore, let's hope that a solution for peace in the Middle East can be found soon (...) which clearly involves the two-state solution, one of which will surely be Palestine", insisted the ambassador.

However, on the day when three European countries - Spain, Ireland and Norway - announced that they will recognize the State of Palestine on May 28, the President of Portugal, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, considered that this is still "not the right time" for the recognition of Palestine, despite clearly defending the two-state solution.

A source from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs also told Lusa that Portugal maintains the desire to recognize Palestine as a state, but is trying to obtain the greatest possible consensus among the members of the European Union (EU).

In a look at the EU's position, Ana Paula Zacarias reflected on the bloc's differences in relation to the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East - in the latter without a unanimous position - admitting the concern of dismissing the "idea that there may be 'double standards' [duplicity of criteria]".

"The European Union wants to be seen - and its Member States - as always supporting peace solutions, a just peace, a dignified peace, a peace that allows the conflict in Ukraine to be resolved, where we have an occupant, an aggressor power clearly identified by the courts and, therefore, it is necessary to assert here the rights of the country that was invaded and that is subjugated. In the case of Palestine, the issues are distinct", she observed.

"However, we have also said many times that Israel cannot make more settlements in Palestinian territory. Israel must behave within the framework of International Law. There are elements here that can be seen together and that allow EU countries to act in a coordinated manner in this matter", she advocated.

Ana Paula Zacarias also defended that the fact that there is a war in the Middle East cannot lead to the conflict in Ukraine being forgotten, "especially now", when Russian forces have launched a major offensive in the Kharkiv region, in the northeast of the country.

Also Read: State of Palestine? Portugal is cautious and faces criticism (Portuguese version)