RAMALLAH, Tuesday, August 17, 2021 (WAFA) - Minister of Foreign and Expatriate Affairs, Riyad al-Malki, called on Japan to recognize the State of Palestine.

This came during a meeting in Ramallah with the Japanese Foreign Minister, Toshimitsu Motegi, where they discussed the current situation on the ground and the continued Israeli violations, including the expropriation of Palestinian land, settlement construction, the forced expulsion of Palestinian families from their homes in Jerusalem’s Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood, and attempts to change the status quo in Jerusalem.

They further discussed ways to promote and strengthen the bilateral relations between the two countries.

Maliki called on Japan to pressure Israel to respect the signed agreements, and to work to help the Palestinian and Israeli sides in order to create the proper environment for reviving the peace process and launching negotiations under international auspices.

For his part, the Japanese foreign minister stressed his country's position in support of the principle of the two-state solution, noting that Japan will continue to support the political dialogue between the concerned parties.

He added that Japan will continue its confidence-building efforts and its provision of economic and humanitarian assistance to the Palestinians.

T.R.