The government of Uruguay on Tuesday announced its official recognition of the Palestinian State as an independent and sovereign country, and reaffirmed its commitment to the Middle East peace process, the Uruguayan Foreign Ministry said.

"The reasons for this decision are not any other than Uruguay's strong

commitment to the peace process," the ministry said in a statement, expressing Uruguay's wish for the Palestinian and Israeli people to live and "co-exist in peace."

This decision "is also the result of the progressive strengthening of

Uruguay's relations with the Palestinian people and the national authority" of Palestine, it said.

Uruguay rejected and condemned "any terrorist act aimed to attack the integrity and the rights of the people," the statement said.

Latin American countries that have officially recognized the Palestinian state include Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Chile and Ecuador.