French FM: EU should consider recognizing Palestinian state

French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe said Tuesday that the European Union should consider the option of recognizing a Palestinian state if no peace agreement with Israel is reached.

"Recognizing the Palestinian state alone is useless," he said, explaining that the measure should be taken in collaboration with other countries within the EU. Juppe made the statement during a hearing at the Committee on Foreign Affairs of National Assembly in the lower house of the French Parliament. "We're not there yet, but personally I think it is an option that one must have in mind," he added. (AFP)