Suhail - Jerusalem

Newspaper The Republic
Montevideo – Uruguay Republic – Thursday, September 29, 2005

The Government analyses the issue slowly; the Palestine State recognition is also being analysed.

Vazquez analyses Palestinian proposal to open a Diplomatic Mission in Uruguay (view)

The Executive Power analyses a proposal made by the Palestine National Authority to open a Diplomatic Mission in our country. It does not rule out the possibility of recognising Palestine as a constituted State in the future.

Diplomatic Sources confirmed that the Uruguayan Government is analysing the issue “slowly”, in the highest level. Before his Assumption, Tabare Vazquez gave an interview to the Hebrew Weekly where he said that Uruguay will not change its position with respect to Middle East.

Expressly consulted about the possibility of opening a Palestinian Diplomatic Representation in Uruguay, he said that “it will have to be establish under the rules applied in these issues, whatever origin it possesses”.

“If the issued is raised, we will considered it in the relevant instances and we will take it seriously”, he said at that time.

During the same interview, Vazquez emphasised that his Government “ will continue the friendship politics with Israel and politics in favour of peace in Middle East too”.

Vazquez visited Israel, where he was given a scholarship in the Weizmann Institute by the Cancer International Union in 1982. Ten years later, he went back to Israel in the framework of an official visit as Montevideo Mayor.

The President also mentioned that “redoubling efforts in all aspects and levels to promote peace taking into account the mutual recognition of the Israel State and the Palestine State is going to be his aim as Head of Government”.

A reaffirmation sign of that politics took place on March 1, when Vazquez included to Suhail Hani Daher Akel, Palestine Ambassador in Argentina, among his guests. It is the first time that the Ambassador has been invited to an Assumption Ceremony.

The invitation became part of an initial and favourable action to begin the diplomatic relations since Uruguay has never maintained diplomatic relations with Palestine before.

At that moment, Dr. Alem Garcia, a member of the Federation of Arab-American Entities (FEARAB-America), expressed that “FEARAB has carried out several arrangements for over 30 years, all of them have failed”.

The Ambassador brought a letter signed by Mahmoud Abbas (also called Abu Mazen), President of the Executive Commission of the Palestine Liberation Organisation and President of the Palestine National Authority .

Some days ago, The Palestine Ambassador had an interview with the Uruguay Ambassador in Argentina, Felipe Bustillo, and he gave Bustillo another salutation document from the President of the Palestine National Authority asking the Uruguay Chancellor takes charge of the Palestine issue.

During the meeting with the Ambassador, the Palestine Ambassador expressed – according to what The Republic was told – “the wishes of opening our bilateral diplomatic relations and a Palestine Mission in Uruguay since Palestine is the only State which still remains outstanding”.

According to the Ambassador, “the last bilateral accord was signed with Paraguay on May 2005. We expect that the accord takes place soon for the common interests of both People and States”.

On September 21, 2005, the Argentine Foreign Office gave the Palestine Ambassador “the official document for the opening of the Argentine Diplomatic Representation in Palestine, located in Ramallah city, whose opening will be carried out “very soon”. And next, you will find the salutation letter of the Palestine President dated in Gaza, August 25:

“Gaza, 8/25/2005

H.E. Mister President Tabare Vazquez
Uruguay President
Montevideo

A cordial greeting

As you and your friendly people celebrate the new Independence Anniversary of your country, we like giving H.E., in my name and in the name of our people, the most sincere and warm congratulation, taking advantage of this opportunity to express you our proud for the existing friendship between our people and countries and appreciating your support towards our people in order for them to recover and exercise its national and inalienable rights in freedom, the return, the autodetermination and the establishment of the independent Palestine State with its capital city East Jerusalem, according to the international legal laws.

Renovating to H.E. our congratulation with our wishes of good health and happiness for you. And for your friendly country and people a mayor advance and prosperity.

Mahmoud Abbas
President of the Executive Commission of the Palestine Liberation Organization
President of the Palestine National Authority”.