French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot announced Friday that France is determined to recognize the State of Palestine, emphasizing that the move “will not be symbolic.”

Speaking during an interview with RTL television, Barrot said France and Saudi Arabia plan to make formal commitments to help remove obstacles to Palestinian statehood during the upcoming United Nations conference on Palestine, scheduled to take place in New York from June 17 to 20.

Barrot, whose country is co-chairing the conference alongside Saudi Arabia, stressed that France, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, has a “special responsibility” in advancing the recognition of Palestine.

“The recognition of a Palestinian state will not be just a gesture,” he said, highlighting France’s intention to take concrete steps toward supporting a two-state solution amid ongoing international efforts to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.