"The Government of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago has taken the decision, at its meeting of Cabinet today, to formally recognize the State of Palestine. As recommended by the Minister of Foreign and CARICOM Affairs, the Cabinet has determined that the formal recognition of Palestine by the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago will assist in the achievement of a lasting peace by strengthening the growing international consensus on the issue of Palestinian statehood," the statement reads. "The Government’s consistent position is that a two-state solution is the only way out of the ongoing cycle of violence," the document adds.

As of today, 141 out of the 193 UN member states, including Russia, recognize Palestine as an independent nation. Palestine has embassies and permanent missions in 95 countries.

In 1947, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution on the partition of Palestine, one of the key documents for resolving the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The resolution provided for the creation of two independent states, an Arab one and a Jewish one, in Palestine, which had been administered by the United Kingdom. The document also established a special status for Jerusalem. The state of Israel was declared in May 1948. However, a full-fledged Arab state has still not been created in Palestine.

On November 22, 1967, the UN Security Council passed Resolution 242 calling for ending the Arab-Israeli conflict by canceling most of the results of the 1967 Six Day War after which Israel had taken control of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip. The UN plan called for bringing Israel back into its 1949 borders and creating the Arab state of Palestine between Jordan and the Mediterranean Sea. The resolution is still considered to be a major document in resolving the Arab-Israeli conflict and the Palestine issue.