Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary HAYASHI Yoshimasa told a news conference in Tokyo on Friday that the US veto of a a draft resolution that recommended Palestine become a full UN member state is “regrettable.”

Twelve countries, including Japan, France, China, Russia and South Korea, voted in favor of the resolution. Britain and Switzerland abstained from voting.

Palestine is a permanent observer at the United Nations without the right to vote. To become a full UN member, Palestine needs to have a resolution to recommend its membership adopted by the Security Council and approved at the General Assembly.

Japan voted for the resolution, although it does not recognize Palestine as a state.

“Based on the recognition that Palestine meets membership requirements, we made the decision comprehensively toward the realization of peace in the Middle East,” Hayashi, Japan’s top government spokesman, said.

UEMURA Tsukasa, the Japanese government’s representative for Middle East peace efforts, told a Security Council meeting after Thursday’s vote, “At this critical moment, Japan voted in favor of today’s draft resolution as a comprehensive decision.”

Japan took into account “the perspective of promoting the establishment of a Palestinian state through peaceful negotiations between the parties concerned,” Uemura added.

JIJI Press