Italy’s Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has said that recognising the State of Palestine before it is established could be counterproductive, Al Jazeera reports.

“I am very much in favour of the State of Palestine but I am not in favour of recognising it prior to establishing it,” Meloni told Italian daily La Repubblica.

“If something that doesn’t exist is recognised on paper, the problem could appear to be solved when it isn’t,” Meloni added.

Yesterday, Italy’s foreign minister said that recognition of a Palestinian state must occur simultaneously with recognition of Israel by the new Palestinian entity.