"Finally the Palestinian flag is hoisted among the flags of independent states," said GUE/NGL MEP Kyriacos Triantaphyllides, Vice-Chair of the EP's Palestinian Legisltive Council Delegation, following the raising of the Palestinian flag by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas outside UNESCO headquarters in Paris yesterday.

"Our wish is that it will soon be also among the flags at the United Nations in New York. It is regrettable that Washington reacted by suspending funding for UNESCO. We hope that the US government will finally recognise the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to have heir own independent state and they will subsequently alter their position accordingly."

GUE/NGL Press Contacts:

Gay Kavanagh +32 473 84 23 20   

David Lundy +32 485 50 58 12

gabrielle.kavanagh@europarl.europa.eu  

david.lundy@europarl.europa.eu

European United Left / Nordic Green Left

European Parliamentary Group

www.guengl.eu