During a joint press conference with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez on Friday, Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store declared Norway's willingness to recognize the state of Palestine.

Store emphasized that any decision to recognize Palestine would require close coordination with "like-minded countries."

"We have not set a firm timetable," Store stated, indicating the flexibility of the recognition process.

Norway's parliament had previously approved a government proposal in November to prepare for the recognition of an independent Palestinian state. The country has a history of involvement in Israeli-Palestinian peace talks, having hosted discussions that led to the Oslo Accords in the early 1990s.

Sanchez, who is on a diplomatic tour of Poland, Norway, and Ireland, aims to garner support for the recognition of Palestine. He reiterated Spain's commitment to recognizing Palestine as a state "as soon as possible" under appropriate conditions conducive to the peace process.

In a joint statement issued on March 22, Spain, along with Ireland, Malta, and Slovenia, affirmed their readiness to recognize Palestine when the circumstances are favorable. Sanchez had expressed hope that recognition would occur by the end of June.

Store welcomed Sanchez's initiative to consult with other nations to strengthen coordination on this matter and pledged to intensify efforts in the coming weeks.

The Spanish leader's vocal stance on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict has previously drawn criticism from Israel, particularly during the recent hostilities between Israel and Hamas. (ILKHA)