Palestinians welcome Vatican’s recognition

Palestinian officials have welcomed a recent decision by the Vatican to officially recognize Palestine as an independent state in a new treaty.
Palestinians are “extremely encouraged” by the agreement, said Hanan Ashrawi, a senior member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).
    She described the move by the Vatican as a “very positive development, not just politically but in moral terms, human terms, in legal terms.”
The treaty, which is the first legal document to be negotiated between the Vatican and the Palestinians, was finalized on May 13 and is expected to be signed in the near future.
The Vatican’s Under Secretary for Relations with States and Holy See deputy Foreign Minister Antoine Camilleri said the treaty “aims to enhance the life and activities of the Catholic Church and its recognition at the judicial level.”
“Both Parties agreed that the work of the Commission on the text of the agreement has been concluded, and that the agreement will be submitted to the respective authorities for approval ahead of setting a date in the near future for the signing,” the Vatican said in a statement.