Palestine welcomed a statement by some European Union countries to recognize the sovereignty of a Palestinian state.

The leaders of Spain, Ireland, Slovenia and Malta said Friday that they stand ready to recognize a Palestinian state as the "only way to achieve peace and security" in the war-ridden region.

In a joint statement issued on the sidelines of a summit in Brussels to discuss their "readiness to recognize Palestine," the four leaders said they stand ready to do so "when it can make a positive contribution and the circumstances are right."

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry termed the joint statement by the four European countries as a "step in the right direction."

"The recognition of a Palestinian state is a strategic necessity to protect the two-state solution and achieve peace," it added in a statement.

It urged countries that support the decades-long Israeli occupation of Palestinian lands to reverse their position "to stand on the right side of history and side with international law and international humanitarian law."

For years, the Palestinian Authority has called on Europe and the United States to recognize a Palestinian state amid collapsed peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel.