Palestinian flag at UN ‘a new step towards new independent state’: Egypt

Egypt’s foreign ministry said on Friday the United Nations (UN) General Assembly decision to fly the Palestinian flag at its headquarters is a “new step towards establishing an independent Palestinian state”.

“Egypt supports all efforts aiming for a just and comprehensive settlement for the Palestinian cause, and also all efforts aiming to reinstate the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people in accordance with the UN resolution,” a foreign ministry statement read.

There were 119 votes in favour out of 193 UN members.

The United States and Israel were among eight countries that voted against the Palestinian-drafted resolution, which says the flags of non-member observer states like Palestine “shall be raised at (UN) Headquarters and United Nations Offices following the flags of the member states.”

Most of the 28 European Union member states were among the 45 nations that abstained, though France and more than half a dozen others voted in favour of the Palestinian resolution after the EU split on the issue.

Palestinians described the approval as a step toward UN membership.

source:Ahram online