In his speech before the Greek parliament, Abbas said the Greek government`s step towards recognizing the State of Palestine would be recorded in history. "Greek parliament`s initiative further contributes to the foundation of the Palestinian state," he said.
The decision has an advisory role for the government to officially recognize Israel. Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras stated Monday that the government will officially recognize Palestine in a proper time and will start to use the term "Palestine" instead of "Palestinian Authority" in official documents.
In comments made before the decision, Abbas in a reception hosted by the president of the House, Nikos Voutsis, expressed his appreciation for the recognition.
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