Malta’s Prime Minister Robert Abela has announced his country’s intention to officially recognise Palestinian independence in the near future. This is reported by the Times of Malta. According to Abela, the announcement will be made on 20 June at an international conference organised by Saudi Arabia and France with the support of the UN.
Although Malta has long shown support for the Palestinian position – it has a Palestinian embassy and in 2024 Malta voted in favour of a UN General Assembly resolution recognising the right of the State of Palestine to full membership in the organisation – there has been no formal recognition of independence.
As Times of Malta notes, Maltese officials have hinted that Malta will not be the only country to make such a statement at the upcoming conference. According to Axios, France is also preparing to recognise Palestinian independence in June. Back in April 2025, French President Emmanuel Macron told TV channel France 5 that such a measure was planned in the ‘coming months’.
At the same time, the initiative is provoking sharp reactions in the international arena. Terrorist group Hamas called the possible recognition by France ‘an important measure’, while Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar sharply condemned the initiative, calling the recognition of Palestine a ‘reward for terrorism’ and a ‘fiction’, as RFI wrote.
In 2024, Norway, Ireland, Spain, Slovenia and Armenia announced the recognition of Palestinian independence. Support for Palestinian statehood is increasingly voiced by European Union countries, despite growing tensions with Israel. The 20 June conference is expected to be an important milestone in the changing diplomatic landscape of the Middle East.
