Jakarta, July 31 -- Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono welcomed the growing number of Western countries recognising Palestine, calling it a positive step toward reaffirming Palestinian sovereignty and advancing the two-state solution.

Following a meeting with Somali Foreign Minister Abdisalam Abdi Ali on Thursday, Sugiono said that recognition of Palestine must be seen as a concrete action-something more meaningful than ongoing diplomatic rhetoric.

"We thank them and hope more countries will follow. Recognition must lead to tangible outcomes, not just words passed from one conference to another," Sugiono said.

Indonesia specifically commended France and the United Kingdom for their recent announcements to recognise Palestine later thi...