Riyad al-Malki, the Palestinian Authority’s foreign minister, has said that the Republic of Cyprus – a member state of the European Union – had recognized a Palestinian state within the pre-1967 borders. Al-Malki told the French news agency AFP the move had been "formalized" in a letter sent by Cyprus President Demetris Christofias to his Palestinian counterpart, Mahmoud Abbas. Officials in Cyprus, however, clarified that Nicosia would not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders between Israel and the Palestinians unless agreed to by the two parties.
"The position of the government of the Republic of Cyprus is in line with the well-known EU position that it will not recognize any changes to the pre-1967 borders, unless agreed by the two parties," said government spokesman, adding: “The Cyprus government stresses, in this context, the utmost importance of the resumption of talks between the two parties as soon as possible." But Malki said he had received a letter from Christofias "formally recognizing the State of Palestine on the 1967 borders" and delivered it to Abbas on Sunday.
The letter pledged to raise the status of the Palestinian diplomatic delegation in Nicosia to that of an embassy, without giving a date, he said. The Cypriot Foreign Ministry in Nicosia, meanwhile, said "the issue of upgrading the Palestinian representative to Cyprus" was "on the table and any changes will be announced in due course."
On Friday, Paraguay had become the latest in a series of Latin American countries and also recognized a "free and independent" Palestinian state within the borders prior to the 1967 Six Day War, the Foreign Ministry in the capital Asunción announced. With this measure, Paraguay "reaffirms its conviction that negotiations between Israel and Palestine should restart with the goal of reaching peace and security for both nations."
Jack Terpins, the president of the Latin American Jewish Congress, criticized the unilateral move by Paraguay and other governments in the region. “In order to recognize a Palestinian state, Israel and the Palestinians first need to reach an agreement in which the country’s existence is recognized.”
