Bolivia Recognizes Palestine as a State

Bolivia joined Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay by announcing it recognized Palestine as a sovereign state within the 1967 borders, Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported Friday.

Bolivian President Evo Morales made the announcement during the South American trade block Mercosur's summit which took place in Brazil. Morales was quoted as saying that Bolivia recognized the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders with Israel.

According to Ma'an news agency, Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the announcement and thanked the Bolivian president for his support of the Palestinians.

In response, the "Israeli" Foreign Ministry condemned the announcement, stating it would not assist the peace process. "We oppose actions that might determine the results of negotiations before they started. A move like this does not encourage the Palestinian Authority to return to the negotiating table," the statement said.

Over the past four months several countries have upgraded the standing of Palestinian representatives. The first country to have done so was none other than the United States. After the U.S., France, Spain, and Portugal also took similar steps.