Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golub announced Thursday that his government has agreed to recognize an independent Palestinian state, two days after Spain, Ireland and Norway took the same step. Golub said, in a press conference: "Today the government decided to recognize Palestine as an independent and sovereign state," indicating that the decision will be referred to Parliament with a request for support from representatives. The Slovenian Prime Minister also called for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all hostages. The Slovenian government raised the Palestinian flag alongside the flags of Slovenia and the European Union in front of its headquarters in the center of the capital, Ljubljana. On May 28, Spain, Norway and Ireland announced their recognition of the State of Palestine, bringing the number of countries recognizing it to 147 out of 193 countries in the United Nations General Assembly. Source: Qatar News Agency