"Belgium will continue to be part of the like-minded group" on Palestine statehood, assured Prime Minister Alexander De Croo during a plenary session of the Chamber on Thursday.
MPs had requested the Prime Minister to once again address the issue of recognising Palestine as a state, following a statement from Foreign Affairs Minister Hadja Lahbib on Tuesday that had sparked queries amongst majority party members.
Contrary to recent indications, Minister Lahbib declared that Belgium had distanced itself from Spain – a leading advocate alongside Ireland and Slovenia within European countries for swift recognition of Palestine.
Surprise followed this revelation as previously, Belgium seemed aligned with Spain and other "like-minded" nations on this matter.
De Croo emphasised on Thursday that Belgium continues to support a two-state solution. But, he added: "to achieve this, there need to be responsible parties on both sides."
The prospects of reaching a political agreement, however, appear slim. Belgium is set to be more assertive in the forthcoming United Nations General Assembly. A Palestinian resolution for full UN membership is anticipated, following the US veto of its request at the UN Security Council.
"The core government has decided that Belgium could sponsor a resolution at the UN for Palestine to become a full member," stated the Prime Minister, affirming he is "working on a solution."
