Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh and Austrian Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg today discussed bilateral relations and political developments.

During a meeting in Ramallah, the Prime Minister briefed Schallenberg on the latest developments and Israeli measures on the ground, including the acceleration of settlement construction, house demolitions, land grabs, the Judaization of Jerusalem, and the continuation of incursions, which he stressed would increase the state of tension and undermine the two-state solution.

He urged Austria to recognize the State of Palestine, pointing out that the alternative to the two-state solution is perpetuating the apartheid system under which the Palestinian people are living now, and which was documented by prominent international human rights organizations.

Shtayyeh said that the economic and financial crises facing Palestine are a result of the occupation’s measures and its control over the Palestinian resources, the illegal deductions from Palestinian tax revenues, in addition to the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the war in Ukraine.

The Prime Minister appreciated Austria’s support in various fields and its stances in support of the rights of the Palestinian people, calling for strengthening cooperation in the field of vocational and educational training.

The meeting was also attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates, Riyad al-Maliki, and Austrian Representative to Palestine Astrid Finn.

Source: Palestinian News & Info Agency (WAFA)