The Holy See said on Wednesday that the Vatican has been concluded its first treaty that formally recognized the State of Palestine. This also included an agreement on Catholic Church activities in the Palestinian Aurhority-controlled areas.

The Vatican said in a released joint statement that the first treaty has been concluded. It will then be officially signed by the respective authorities in the near future, according to a report by Reuters.

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Monsignor Antoine Camilleri, the deputy foreign minister of Vatican, said that the agreement aims to enhance the life and activities of the Catholic Church and its recognition at the judicial level, Reuters reported.

The announcement of the treaty comes days before Pope Francis is to meet up with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, according to a report by Yahoo News. Pope Francis plans to attend a Sunday Mass for the canonization of the two Palestinian-born nuns that will make the two nuns as saints.

The Catholic official said that the sainthood of Mariam Baouardy and Mary Alphonsine Danil Ghattas is something that will make the Jews and the Muslims happy, not just the Christians, according to a report by Haarretz. The two nuns lived in the 19th century and the early 20th century.

It can be noted that the United Nations General Assembly on November 29 of the year 2012 adopted a resolution where it recognized Palestine as an observer non-member state, Yahoo News reported.

Meanwhile, Moshe Kantor, the European Jewish Congress President, said that the treaty is "unfortunate," adding that the treaty would "diminish the chances of a negotiated peaceful resolution of the conflict and emolden extremists," according to a report by Yahoo News.

Vatican deputy foreign minister Camilleri said in an interview that he expected that the treaty would indirectly help the relationship of the Palestinian State and Israel, Reuters reported. "It would be positive if the accord could in some way help with the establishment and recognition of an independent, sovereign and democratic State of Palestine which lives in peace and security with Israel and its neighbours," Camilleri added.

TagsVatican, Vatican recognized, State of Palestine, first treaty, Palestine, Israel, Pope Francis