Korean parliament urged to recognise Palestine

AMMAN — Jordanian officials and academics on Sunday called on South Korea’s parliament to officially recognise the state of Palestine.

“We urge South Korea’s parliament to recognise Palestine like several EU countries did. South Korea already supports the Palestinians so why not recognise their state?” Samir Al Naouri, former Jordanian ambassador to Japan, said at a session during the 11th Korea Middle East Cooperation Forum Sunday.

Naouri added that South Korea can play a greater role in reaching a solution to the Palestinian issue.

Faisal Al Rfouh, dean of the University of Jordan’s Prince Al Hussein Bin Abdullah II School of International Studies, agreed with Naouri.

“I do hope that South Korea will recognise the state of Palestine,” he said during the session, stressing Palestinians’ legitimate right to statehood.

During the forum — attended by several Jordanian, Arab and Korean experts, officials, academics and researchers — Senator Jawad Anani said South Korea’s recognition of Palestine will benefit its standing in the region.

“Recognising the state of Palestine will enhance Korea’s position in the Middle East. It will help resolve many problems in the region as finding a lasting solution to this issue and creating an independent state will put an end to extremist groups taking advantage of the lack of a solution,” said Anani, a former Royal Court chief.

“Without a Palestinian state... there is no hope for stability in the Middle East,” he noted.

Chung Yong-chil, secretary general of the Korea-Arab Society, told The Jordan Times Sunday that the outcomes and recommendations of the forum will be conveyed to the South Korean government and officials.

In October, Sweden became the largest Western European country to recognise Palestine, according to Reuters.

This month, French lawmakers voted for recognising Palestine in a largely symbolic, non-binding move.

Similar votes have been held in parliaments in Spain, Britain and Ireland backing non-binding resolutions in favour of recognition, according to Reuters.

Seven EU member states have already recognised a Palestinian state — Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovakia, Hungary, Malta, Poland and Romania. Non-EU member Iceland is the only other Western European nation to have done so, according to Agence France-Presse.