Jerusalem (CNN) -- Following the breakdown of direct talks with Israel, Palestinians have begun seeking international recognition of an independent state from European nations.
Officials from the Palestinian Authority told CNN Thursday that the governments of France, Britain, Sweden, and Denmark had formally been asked to recognize a Palestinian state based on borders that existed prior to the 1967 war between Israel and it Arab neighbors.
Senior Palestinian negotiator Nabil Sha'ath told CNN that the requests were part of an ongoing strategy to achieve statehood outside the framework of talks with Israel.
"These were the last ones, but I have been asking all European countries to do the same," Sha'ath said.
He said that while most countries in Africa and Asia had already recognized Palestine as an independent state many countries, including the United States and a number of European nations, did not. CNN
