France says it will not recognize Palestine on its own

France is "determined" to recognize the state of Palestine, but will not do it alone, French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said, Le Figaro reports .

The diplomat made the statement ahead of a UN conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, scheduled for June 17-20. The event is being co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, and France was expected to announce its recognition of Palestine during the conference.

"We are determined to do this, but not alone," said Barro.

The goal, he said, is to involve a certain number of countries in the official proclamation of Palestine, as well as all interested parties, including the Palestinian Authority and Arab countries.

"France could have taken a symbolic decision. We did not choose this path because we have a special responsibility, because France is a permanent member of the Security Council. We are doing this to change the situation and make the existence of a Palestinian state more likely and real," Barrot noted.

• On April 10, Macron said that France could recognize a Palestinian state at a UN conference on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which France will co-chair with Saudi Arabia in June.
• Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that French President Emmanuel Macron is making a "serious mistake" by promoting the idea of a Palestinian state.