Finland Joins New York Declaration Backing Two-State Solution

The Finnish government announced on Friday that it has joined the French-Saudi New York Declaration supporting a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict through the implementation of a two-state solution.

The declaration, launched at a UN-backed international conference in July hosted by Saudi Arabia and France, outlines steps to revive peace efforts after decades of stalemate. Both the US and Israel boycotted the conference.

Finnish Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen described the French-Saudi initiative earlier this month as the most significant international effort in years to create conditions for a two-state solution.

The declaration’s first step calls for ending the nearly two-year-long war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

Unlike other European states such as Spain and Norway, Finland has not formally recognized Palestine as a state, and its coalition government remains divided on the issue.

Helsinki’s announcement comes just days after Belgium declared its intention to recognize Palestine, with Brussels stating it would formalize recognition once the last Israeli hostage held in Gaza is released.

France has also pledged to recognize Palestine during the UN General Assembly session running from 9 to 23 September, with more than a dozen Western nations since signaling plans to follow Paris’ lead.

Currently, around 150 UN member states recognize Palestine, though key Western powers, including permanent UN Security Council members the US and the UK, remain outside the consensus.