RAMALLAH - The number of countries recognizing Palestine is likely to reach 130 before the Palestinians request a United Nations vote on their independence next month, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Maliki said Saturday.

El Salvador and Honduras were the recent countries to recognize Palestine as an independent state. Al-Maliki said more recognitions are expected from Caribbean countries and Central American states.

"I'm very optimistic and I think that we will have more than 130 countries recognizing us before we go to the UN on September 20," Al-Maliki said in an interview with the Ramallah-based Al- Ayyam newspaper.

So far 124 countries have already recognized the lands that Israel has occupied since 1967 as Palestinians'.

Israel and the United States oppose the Palestinian bid to obtain recognition from the UN General Assembly next month and insist that this recognition should be made through a negotiated agreement.

Peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians were stalemated last year after Israel resumed building settlements in the West Bank.