Palestinian foreign minister says recognition brings independence, sovereignty closer

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said countries recognising a Palestinian state this week were taking an irreversible step that preserved the two-state solution and brought Palestinian independence and sovereignty closer. Britain, Canada and Australia formally recognised a Palestinian state on Sunday, joining other nations in a move aimed at reviving momentum for a two-state solution but which has been criticised by Israel and the United States. "Now is the time. Tomorrow is a historic date we need to build on. It's not the end," Shahin told reporters in Ramallah. "It is a move bringing us closer to sovereignty and independence. It might not end the war tomorrow, but it's a move forward, which we need to build on and...