The Government of Guatemala on Monday announced it has recognition of a Palestinian state, bringing the number of countries that recognized the State of Palestine to 133 countries.

The Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations in New York said that it had received from the Permanent Mission of Guatemala to the United Nations a Letter from Fernando Carrera Castro Minister of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala, to the Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al Malki in this regard.

For its part, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Guatemala issued a statement today saying that the Government of Guatemala has decided to join the vast majority of the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean to recognize Palestine as a free, independent and sovereign state, expressing strong desire to resume the process of negotiations between Israel and the State of Palestine, with the support of the international community in order to reach a peace agreement.(QNA)