The French government has upgraded its diplomatic relations with the Palestinian Authority to help speed the creation of a Palestinian state, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Monday, dpa reported.
What was previously titled the Palestinian delegation to France will now be referred to as the Palestinian mission, Kouchner said in a press statement.
And the senior Palestinian diplomatic official in France will now be referred to as the ambassador, chief of mission, instead of general delegate.
Kouchner said that France supported the creation of a "viable, independent, democratic Palestinian state" by the first quarter of 2012.
The diplomatic upgrade was carried out "to contribute to the realization of this objective and to guarantee its credibility," he said.