(ANSA) - ROMA, SEP 21 - The United Kingdom, France and Canada are the G7 countries to recognize the Palestinian state. And together with 7 other countries that decided similarly at the UN General Assembly in New York, they bring to over 150 the number of UN members who have taken this position. Among them are not Italy, the United States or Germany. * EUROPE - Sweden was the first EU country to take this step, in 2014, at the height of months of clashes between Israelis and Palestinians in East Jerusalem. The State of Palestine had already been recognized in 1998, following the declaration of independence proclaimed by then PLO leader Yasser Arafat, by Cyprus (which later joined the EU in 2004) and a number of Soviet bloc countries now in the Union: Bulgaria, Hungary, Poland, Romania, and the then Czechoslovakia, later divided into Slovakia and the Czech Republic. With the end of the USSR, Prague and Budapest stepped back, but both capitals still host a Palestinian embassy. The decision by Paris and London sparked similar controversy as last year, when recognition came from Ireland, Spain, Slovenia, and Norway (which is not part of the EU). Following the UK and France, Andorra, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, Malta and San Marino also decided to recognize Palestine at the UN Assembly in New York. As for Italy, it believes that this solution should be achieved through negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians in the two-state perspective. * REST OF THE WORLD--Almost all of Asia, Africa and Latin America formally recognize the Palestinian state. But Japan, South Korea, New Zealand who have entertained the possibility of recognizing Palestine but have not taken the step. With the U.N. Assembly, however, Australia and Canada are also added to the list. Algeria was the first country, in 1988 minutes after Arafat's declaration, followed closely by many others: much of the Arab world, India, Turkey, several African countries, as well as China and Russia, which was still the Soviet Union. In 2011 Moscow, with then Kremlin tenant Dmitry Medvedev, confirmed the recognition. In 2010-2011 a number of South American countries joined, including Argentina, Brazil and Chile. In November 2012, the Palestinian flag was raised for the first time at the United Nations in New York after the General Assembly voted overwhelmingly to elevate the Palestinians' status to "non-member observer state." Last year, the Assembly passed a resolution affirming that Palestine is "qualified to become a member state" with 143 votes in favor, 25 abstentions (including Italy) and nine against, including the U.S. Washington, as well as Rome, still maintains diplomatic relations with the Palestinian National Authority. (ANSA).