LJUBLJANA / PNN / 

The Slovenian government has approved a decision to recognize Palestine as an independent state, Prime Minister Robert Golob announced at a news conference today.

This move aligns Slovenia with Spain, Ireland, and Norway, who recently extended similar recognition, according to a report by Reuters.

This decision now awaits approval from the Slovenian parliament in the coming days. The recognition is part of a broader international effort to exert pressure on Israel to halt its ongoing military offensive against Palestinians in Gaza.

Prime Minister Golob emphasized the need for an immediate cessation of the Israeli aggression on Gaza.  

"This is the message of peace," Golob stated. During the announcement, a Palestinian flag was raised alongside the Slovenian and EU flags in front of the government building in downtown Ljubljana.

With Slovenia’s decision, nine of the 27 European Union member states have now officially recognized Palestine. These include Sweden, Cyprus, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia, Romania, and Bulgaria. Malta has indicated that it may follow suit soon.

The UK and Australia have expressed that they are also considering recognition, although France has stated that now is not the time. It is noteworthy that the UK parliament voted in favor of recognizing a Palestinian state in 2014, but subsequent governments have not acted on this decision.