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Interview

Palestinian UN envoy: Saudi-France summit was 'historic' milestone, builds on France recognition

Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour told Al-Monitor in an interview that the the summit created fresh momentum for Palestinian statehood in line with recent recognition moves by countries such as France and the UK.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 29: Riyad Mansour, Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the conflict in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question at the United Nations headquarters on April 29, 2025 in New York City. The Security Council held a meeting on the ongoing Israel-Hamas war as the International Court of Justice (ICJ) holds its second day of hearings into Israel’s humanitarian obligations to Palestinians after more than 50 days of Israel’
Riyad Mansour, Palestinian ambassador to the UN, speaks during a United Nations Security Council meeting on the conflict in the Middle East on April 29, 2025, in New York City. — Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

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This week’s high-level UN conference, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia and aimed at reviving the two-state solution, was a “resounding success,” Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour told Al-Monitor in an interview. He called the summit “historic,” citing the broader momentum it reflects toward Palestinian statehood, including recent recognition moves by countries such as France and the UK.

The two-day gathering, held July 28-29 at the UN General Assembly in New York, brought together dozens of countries and international organizations, though neither Israel nor the United States participated.

Officially titled the “High-Level International Conference for the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution,” the meeting concluded with a wide-ranging declaration calling for “tangible, timebound, and irreversible steps” to end the war in Gaza and lay the groundwork for an independent Palestinian state. However, no time frame for advancing these priorities was provided. 

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