The Palestinian foreign minister said on Sunday that EU-member state Cyprus recognises a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders. Riyad al-Malki told AFP the move was "formalised" in a letter sent by Cyprus President Demetris Christofias to his Palestinian counterpart Mahmud Abbas.
Officials in Cyprus, however, clarified that Nicosia would not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders between Israel and the Palestinians unless agreed to by the two parties.
"The position of the government of the Republic of Cyprus is in line with the well-known EU position that it will not recognise any changes to the pre-1967 borders, unless agreed by the two parties," said government spokesman.
"The Cyprus government stresses, in this context, the utmost importance of the resumption of talks between the two parties as soon as possible," Stefanos Stefanou said in a written statement, referring to Christofias' letter.
But Malki said he had received a letter from Christofias "formally recognising the state of Palestine on the 1967 borders" and delivered it to Abbas on Sunday.
The letter pledged to raise the status of the Palestinian diplomatic delegation in Nicosia to that of an embassy, without giving a date, he said.
The foreign ministry in Nicosia, meanwhile, said "the issue of upgrading the Palestinian representative to Cyprus" was "on the table and any changes will be announced in due course." The 1967 borders include lands in annexed east Jerusalem, the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip, all of which were seized by Israel in the Six-Day War of that year.
The move comes shortly after eight South American countries declared their recognition of an independent Palestinian state. Borders of a final Palestinian state have been one of the thorniest issues in peace negotiations with Israel.
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