Emmanuel Macron announced the suspension of the international summit co-sponsored by France and Saudi Arabia, which was scheduled to take place from June 17 to 20 at the United Nations headquarters in New York to promote a two-state solution to the nearly 80-year conflict between Israel and Palestine.
PUBLICIDAD
The French president and the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed Bin Salman, had agreed in December 2024 to hold an international conference at the UN headquarters to discuss the feasibility of a Palestinian State within the context of the Israeli offensive against the Gaza Strip.
PUBLICIDAD
Why was the summit for the two-state solution suspended?
“This postponement cannot cast doubt on our determination to move forward towards the implementation of the two-state solution. Whatever the circumstances, I have expressed my determination to recognize the State of Palestine,” Macron said in a press conference.
The French president indicated that the suspension of the summit, which aims to discuss a “demilitarized Palestinian state that recognizes the existence and security of Israel,” is due to “logistical and security” issues in the context of the escalation in the Middle East region following the recent bombings between Israel and Iran.
“We cannot live in a world where Iran possesses nuclear weapons,” Macron stressed, adding that Tehran “has a great responsibility in destabilizing the entire region” and that the French military presence “is on alert.”
In this sense, the President of France urged to resolve the escalation “through negotiation”, although he warned that “the risk of Iran advancing towards the development of nuclear weapons threatens the region, Europe, and collective stability in general”.
The French leader has been “determined” in recent weeks to recognize the Palestinian State, although he has not yet confirmed the step. France, which was previously reluctant to recognize without negotiations, hinted that it is seeking some kind of coordinated action during the conference.