Palestinian Authority Chairman Mahmoud Abbas on Monday signed 22 international treaties to bolster the appearance of there being a “State of Palestine,” WAFA reported.
“These important agreements would make the State of Palestine a key partner in discussing and addressing the fundamental issues facing the whole world,” the official PA news agency suggested.
The PLO, and not the PA, maintains a network of missions and embassies, and represents the PA abroad. Many of the 136 states recognize the “State of Palestine” as a legitimate country, have upgraded the PLO offices on their soil to the status of a de facto Palestinian embassy. Other states have not awarded “Palestine” diplomatic recognition, but in many countries, as a matter of courtesy, these PLO missions have been granted diplomatic privileges as “Palestine” and are referred to as “embassies,” run by “ambassadors.”
States that recognize the “State of Palestine” also maintain missions in Ramallah and Gaza.