"It is only a matter of time," said the same source, recalling that Portugal has a mediating position in the EU on this issue and is therefore "in consultations with several States to reach the greatest consensus and bring the largest number of countries to the solution" of two States: Israel and Palestine. The ministry also stressed that the government's position has already been put forward several times by the head of Portuguese diplomacy, Paulo Rangel, and follows the line of the previous executive. In an interview given to the Spanish newspaper El Pais on the 12th, Paulo Rangel stated that the Portuguese government would not now join Spain in recognising the sovereignty of the State of Palestine, explaining that it was waiting for "the most opportune moment to take this step". Although he admitted that the Portuguese position is similar to the Spanish one, he said it was not "exactly the same" since "there is a time difference". At the end of 2023, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs João Gomes Cravinho told Lusa that the recognition of the State of Palestine by Portugal "is something that should happen", but in coordination with "some close partners" and at a "moment with consequences for peace". The former minister added on the same occasion that "there would not be a collective recognition" by the EU, since "different countries have different positions". Spain, Ireland and Norway today announced the decision to recognise the independence of Palestine, which should be finalised on 28 May. Slovenia, meanwhile, has announced that it will join the recognition of the Palestinian State "in the coming days", according to the Prime Minister, Robert Golob, who said that he will meet with his counterparts from the bloc countries that have not yet recognised Palestine. In March of this year, at a European Council in Brussels, Slovenia declared that it was ready to recognise Palestine in a joint declaration with Spain, Malta and Ireland. The announcement made today by Spain, Ireland and Norway was welcomed by the Palestinian leaders and criticised by the Israeli government, which summoned the respective ambassadors in the three countries. The decision was announced in the context of the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, which began in October 2023, after an attack carried out by commandos from the Palestinian extremist group on Israeli soil. The State of Palestine has already been unilaterally recognised by 137 of the 193 member countries of the United Nations, according to the Palestinian National Authority. Also Read: Slovenia will join the recognition of Palestine "in the coming days" (Portuguese version)