Arab countries, Hamas welcome Armenia`s recognition of Palestinian  state

ArmInfo.Several Arab nations welcomed Armenia's decision Friday to recognize Palestine as an  independent state.

Qatar's Foreign Ministry considered the move "an important step to  support the two-state solution and achieve peace and stability in the  region."

It voiced hope that more countries "will recognize the State of  Palestine and strengthen efforts aimed at implementing the two-state  solution."

The Lebanese Foreign Ministry also welcomed the decision and stressed  it reflects Armenia's "commitment to the international law and the  principles of equality, sovereignty, and the right of peoples to  self- determination."

Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry also hailed Armenia's decision as an  "important step supporting the establishment of an independent  Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, with East Jerusalem as its  capital."

For its part, Jordan described it as a "significant step reflecting  Yerevan's adherence to international law and resolutions," in a  statement by its Foreign Ministry.

Kuwait's Foreign Ministry praised the move as a "positive leap  towards fulfilling relevant UN Security Council resolutions and the  Arab Peace Initiative, enabling the Palestinian people to exercise  self- determination."

Similar statements welcoming Armenia's decision were issued by the  foreign ministries of Oman, Iraq, Egypt and the Gulf Cooperation  Council (GCC).

Yerevan announced its recognition of Palestinian statehood earlier on  Friday, with its Foreign Ministry reaffirming the country's  "commitment to international law and the principles of equality,  sovereignty and peaceful coexistence of peoples, the Republic of  Armenia recognizes the State of Palestine."

This adds Armenia to several countries that recently recognized  Palestine as a state, including Spain, Norway, Ireland and Slovenia.

Writing by Ahmed Asmar and Mohammad Sio

Hamas welcomed the Republic of Armenia's official recognition of a  Palestinian state on Friday afternoon.

The terror group wrote that it "considers it an additional and  important step towards solidifying the international recognition of  our people's rights and their aspirations to end the Nazi Zionist  (Israeli) occupation of their land and establish their fully  sovereign independent state with Jerusalem as its capital."

"We reiterate our call to the countries of the world to take similar  steps in support of our people's struggle against the occupation and  to isolate the criminal Zionist entity that continues to commit the  genocide crime and ethnic cleansing against our Palestinian people,"  Hamas continued.