St. Kitts and Nevis Officially Recognizes Palestine

The government of the Carribean island of St. Kitts and Nevis announced Monday that it will formally recognize the state of Palestine, joining 135 countries around the world, predominantly in the global south. 

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The announcement was made following a meeting between St. Kitts and Nevis’ Foreign Minister Mark Brantley and his Palestinian counterpart Riyad Al-Maliki. Brantly said his country “formally recognizes the State of Palestine as a free, independent and sovereign state based on its 1967 borders and East Jerusalem as its capital.... [St Kitts and Nevis] reiterates its support of a credible two-state solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with the two states living side by side in peace, prosperity and harmony.”

Brantly added his country would be establishing diplomatic ties, and will shortly announce the country’s ambassador to Palestine. Reports say the announcement was a result of Palestinian diplomatic efforts from Al-Maliki and Palestine’s ambassador in Venezuela Linda Soboh. 

St. Kitts and Nevis has taken a number of progressive foreign policy positions. The country’s Prime Minister Timothy Harris has been a prominent voice within CARICOM, urging rejection of foreign intervention in Venezuela.

Speaking at a CARICOM meeting earlier in the month, Harris said; ““We have consistently argued that the cardinal principles to undergird a resolution of the political crisis in Venezuela include: (1) noninterference in the internal affairs of Venezuela, (2) inviolability of the Sovereign State, (3) respect for democracy, rule of law and the constitution of Venezuela, (4) peace and resolution of conflict.”