The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has joined Jamaica and Barbados in officially recognizing the State of Palestine, a decision made by the government during a cabinet meeting in Trinidad on Thursday. This decision came based on a recommendation from the Minister of Foreign Affairs, with the cabinet determining that the official recognition of Palestine by Trinidad and Tobago would assist in achieving lasting peace by enhancing the growing international consensus on the issue of Palestinian independence, according to the Palestinian News Agency "Wafa."
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Port of Spain stated that "Trinidad and Tobago has a long history of principled support for the Palestinian people's right to self-determination, reflected in the government's firm stance that a two-state solution is the only way to resolve the long-standing conflict, and that this is its permanent position, based on Trinidad and Tobago's respect for international law and the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter."
It added that this support has been consistently manifested through Trinidad and Tobago's endorsement of key resolutions regarding Palestine in the United Nations General Assembly, including resolution 67/19, which granted Palestine non-member observer state status in the General Assembly, as well as the annual General Assembly resolutions on the permanent sovereignty of the Palestinian people in the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, and the Syrian Golan regarding their natural resources and the peaceful settlement of the Palestinian issue.
The statement noted that "since the recent war on the Gaza Strip on October 7, Trinidad and Tobago has also supported the resolutions adopted in the emergency sessions of the General Assembly held on October 27 and January 10, 2023, concerning the protection of civilians and legal and humanitarian obligations."
It is worth mentioning that both Jamaica and Barbados announced their recognition of the State of Palestine last April. In previous statements last month, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the United Nations, Ambassador Riyad Mansour, indicated that new countries in the Caribbean and Latin America would soon recognize the State of Palestine following the recognitions by Jamaica and Barbados.
