Finland on Friday decided to join the New York Declaration for a peaceful solution of Palestine crisis prepared by France and Saudi Arabia, said Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen.
“I have today decided that Finland will join the New York Declaration on the peaceful settlement of the Question of Palestine and the implementation of the two-state solution, prepared by France and Saudi Arabia,” Valtonen wrote in a post on her social media platform X.
Terming the move as the most serious attempt by the international community in years to resolve the Middle East conflict, she said it is important that Finland supports it.
The process led by France and Saudi Arabia is the most significant international effort in years to create the conditions for a two-state solution.
“It is consistent with Finland’s Government Report on Finnish Foreign and Security Policy, which was unanimously adopted by Parliament,” the Foreign Minister wrote.
She also said that a significant share of Finland’s peer countries have also joined, or are in the process of joining, the Declaration.
“The aim of the Declaration is to build broad support for measures to end the war in Gaza and to implement the two-state solution,” the Minister added.
The objectives are removal of Hamas from Palestinian governance and the disarmament of Hamas, guaranteeing the security of Israelis and Palestinians, ending hostilities and and normalising relations among the countries of the region, said Valtonen.
The Declaration sets out reforms required of the Palestinian Authority and a pathway towards Palestinian self-determination and democracy and the goal is to launch direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians to achieve a sustainable solution.
Terming the declaration as historic, she said this is the first time that Arab countries, on this scale, have committed to Israel’s security and have demanded the disarmament of Hamas and the transfer of authority in Gaza.
The Declaration condemns both Hamas’s attack of 7 October 2023 and Israeli attacks against civilians, which have led to a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. The Declaration requires the release of all hostages and a return to a ceasefire.
Additional humanitarian aid must be delivered to Gaza without delay, and no obstacles should be placed in the way of humanitarian access. UNRWA’s tasks are to be transferred to the Palestinian Authority after a peace settlement.
Israel must withdraw from Gaza. Gaza’s reconstruction would be launched in accordance with the Arab states’ reconstruction plan, the Foreign Minister wrote.
An international stabilization mission would be established in Gaza, mandated, among other things, to support the transfer of responsibility for internal security to the Palestinian Authority, to provide security guarantees for both Israel and Palestine, and to monitor the ceasefire.
The next step of the declaration is a high-level UN meeting in this month. Many countries including France, Canada and Australia already announced that they will recognise Palestine at the meeting.
As of March 2025, the State of Palestine is recognized as a sovereign state by 147 member countries of the United Nations out of the total 193 member states.
- Finland
- Joins
- New York Declaration
- Palestine
Source: www.dailyfinland.fi
