Ramallah, June 13 (RHC)-- Greek legislators from the ruling Syriza political party have told members of Palestinian political parties that Athens intends to officially recognize the State of Palestine.

During a meeting between a Greek parliamentary delegation and parties of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, the Greek lawmakers confirmed that the government in Athens would soon recognize the State of Palestine.

According to a PLC statement cited in a report by Ma’an News Agency, the precise timetable for the official recognition was not specified by the visiting Greek lawmakers.  The parliament in Greece voted last December in favor of a motion to recommend that the government recognize the Palestinian State.

The voting took place during a special parliamentary session attended by Acting Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas and Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.  Despite the vote, the actual recognition has not yet materialized.

If implemented, Greece would become the second European nation to officially recognize the State of Palestine, following Sweden’s 2014 official recognition of the state.

During their visit to Ramallah, the Greek lawmakers met with Fatah movement’s Azzam al-Ahmad, Qays Abdul Karim of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Mustafa Barghouti of the Palestinian National Initiative, Bassam al-Salihi of the Palestinian People’s Party, and the Fatah-affiliated MPs Najat al-Astal, Muhib Awwad, and Abdullah Abdullah.