RAMALLAH, January 8, 2013 (WAFA) – Minister of Communication Safa Nassereddin said Tuesday that the first stamp to carry the name “State of Palestine” will be issued for the benefit of Palestinian diplomatic offices abroad.

She said that because issuing new stamps requires Israeli approval to print them and bring them into the country, it was decided that the new stamps will be printed in Bahrain, which has contributed to the cost of printing them, and will be used abroad.

The ministry said cost of printing new stamps is relatively high and because there are no special stamp printing machines in Palestine, the stamps have to be printed abroad.

The stamps will be used on certain forms at Palestinian diplomatic offices around the world.

President Mahmoud Abbas issued a decree on Sunday giving instructions to the government to start using the term “State of Palestine” instead of the term “Palestinian National Authority” on all official documents including passports, identity cards, population registration, driving licenses, stamps and other documents.

M.S.