Sweden’s newly-formed center-left government is set to recognize Palestine as a sovereign state, said Prime Minister Stefan Lofven. If Stockholm proceeds with the move it will be the first EU-member to officially endorse Palestinian statehood.

“The conflict between Israel can only be solved with a two-state solution, negotiated in accordance with international law,” Lofven said in the parliament as he made his first speech as PM on Friday.

The Social democrat leader added that the “two-state solution requires mutual recognition and a will to peaceful co-existence.”

“Sweden will therefore recognize the state of Palestine,” he concluded.

If Stockholm officially proceeds with the motion, it will be the first member of the European Union to recognize Palestinian statehood. Some European countries have already recognized the state of Palestine, however they did so before entering the 28-member bloc.

Ireland and Cyprus have upgraded Palestinian representation in Dublin to full embassy status in recent years joining other European countries such as Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.

In November 2012, the UN General Assembly voted 138 to nine, with 41 abstentions, to change Palestine’s ‘entity’ status to ‘non-member observer state’. Palestinian statehood is mainly opposed by Israel and its key ally the US.

Read more here: http://rt.com/news/192904-sweden-to-recognize-palestine/.