Croatia likely to recognize Palestine as a state

"Croatia is likely to recognize Palestine as an independent state," Croatian Foreign Minister Vesna Pusic said at a press conference on Friday.

There are other EU member countries also about to recognize Palestine as well, Pusic said.

Pusic recalled the Sweden's decision to recognize Palestine.

"I think Sweden was the first country to make such a decision. Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom informed us that the decision is before the country's Council of Foreign Ministers. In her opinion, the decision will be applied in a week," Pusic said.

Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven said on Oct. 3 that his country would be the first in Europe to recognize the State of Palestine.

The British Parliament passed a motion calling for the recognition of Palestine on October 13. The motion was approved by 274 votes against 12.

The Irish Senate voted a motion on Thursday calling for the government to recognize the State of Palestine.

Both the British and the Irish votes are non-binding and symbolic.

Spain's Parliament is to discuss a proposal for recognition of Palestine as independent state within the 1967 borders, the news channel Al Arabiya reported on Thursday.