RAMALLAH, September 3, 2011 (WAFA) –Foreign Minister Riyad Malki Friday denied claims that the Palestinian Authority had received an offer from the European Union regarding upgrading Palestine’s status at the United Nations to an observer status similar to that of the Vatican.

He told Voice of Palestine radio that Palestine could easily get an observer, or nonmember, status at the UN without any need for an official offer since it has a majority of votes that are needed to achieve that in the UN General Assembly.

He said that the Vatican option does not mean anything if it was not accompanied by an immediate EU recognition of a Palestinian state at the UN, a call on Israel to stop settlement activities and return to negotiations based on clear terms of reference and a specific time frame.

Malki said that the Palestinian leadership needs a comprehensive offer to be able to consider it positively; otherwise the Palestinians are going forward with their demand to gain full membership of a Palestinian state at the UN.

Malki travels Saturday to New Zealand in a bid to get more recognitions of the Palestinian state from Pacific Ocean countries, which had so far taken a strong pro-Israel stand.

T.R./M.A.