IN recognising the State of Palestine on Thursday, the Swedish government has taken an important step that confirms the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination.

Sweden’s traditionally close ties with the State of Israel are now complemented by an equivalent relationship with the other party in the two-state solution that Israelis, Palestinians and a united international community see as the path to lasting Middle East peace.

Also read: Sweden recognises Palestinian state: foreign minister

Our decision comes at a critical time. Over the last year, we have seen how the peace talks have again stalled, how new settlement decisions on occupied Palestinian land have hampered a two-state solution and how violence returned to Gaza.

Thursday’s recognition is a contribution to a better future for a region that for far too long has been marked by frozen negotiations, destruction and frustration.

By recognising Palestine, we want, first of all, to lend our support to moderate Palestinian forces — those who will manage the complex Palestinian state-building process and those who will soon again have to sit at the negotiating table.

Sweden’s recognition of Palestine comes at a critical time.

Secondly, we want to facilitate an agreement by making the parties in these negotiations less unequal.

The objective is to enable Israel and Palestine to live within mutually recognised borders, with the 1967 borders as the basis and Jerusalem as the capital of two states, and where any land swaps will only be accepted if negotiated by the parties.

Thirdly, we want to contribute to creating more hope and belief in the future among young Palestinians and Israelis who might otherwise risk being radicalised in the belief that there is no alternative to violence.

We want our recognition to say the same thing to the six-year-old in Gaza who has already experienced three wars as to six-year-olds in Israel: we still believe in a peace agreement based on the state of Israel living side by side in peace and security with a democratic, cohesive and viable Palestinian state.

Sweden considers that the international law criteria for the recognition of Palestine have been satisfied. There is a territory, albeit with non-defined borders.

There is a population. And there is a government with the capacity for internal and external control. Also, the global community has deemed Palestine to have the capacity to assume the obligations of a state.

It is true that the Palestinian Authority does not have full control over Palestine in the West Bank and Gaza. Where Gaza is concerned, following the formation of a Palestinian technocratic unity government and the reconciliation accord between Hamas and Fatah, the capacity for internal cohesion has been enhanced.

Not to recognise Palestine because of the Israeli occupation would be contrary to the international law principle of ‘no fruits of aggression’.

The government’s assessment that the international law criteria have been fulfilled is shared by international law experts.

Sweden has previously recognised states — Croatia in 1992 and Kosovo in 2008 — even though they lacked effective control over parts of their territory. Palestine is similarly a special case. Now as then, there are strong political arguments for why recognition — a decision regarding Palestine already taken by more than 130 states — is the right way to go.

In 2009, EU member states reiterated their readiness to recognise a Palestinian state, when appropriate.

We are now ready to lead the way. In view of the difficult situation in the region and in the light of international law analysis, the government sees no reason to further delay a Swedish decision. We hope this may show others the way forward.

Our recognition of a Palestinian state will be followed by en­­ha­nced efforts to support the development of democracy and human rights in Palestine.

Recog­ni­tion also entails greater responsibility. We will make clear demands on Palestine, as we do on Israel.

These will include fighting corruption, respecting civil and political rights and increasing the influence of women. Obviously, this also means a complete renunciation of violence.

There are those who will argue that our decision is premature. If anything, I fear it is too late. The government will now, together with the other EU countries, the US and other regional and international actors, work to support renewed negotiations on a final status settlement.

Such a settlement must be negotiated in accordance with the principles of international law and guarantee both the Palesti­nians’ and Israelis’ legitimate demands for national self-determination and security.

Israel and Palestine are already living side by side. The goal is to be able to do so in peaceful coexistence with secure and recognised borders. The purpose of Sweden’s recognition is to contribute to such a future.

The writer is Sweden’s minister for foreign affairs. Minister for Foreign Affairs. This is a translated, shortened version of the original article that appeared in the Swedish daily Dagens Nyheter on Oct 30.

Published in Dawn, November 2nd, 2014