Finland is one of 25 countries that on Friday abstained from a UN General Assembly vote backing Palestine's full UN membership.
The assembly adopted a resolution with 143 votes in favour of backing a Palestinian bid to become a full UN member.
The United States, Israel and seven other states opposed the move while 25 countries — including Finland and Sweden — abstained.
Finnish President Alexander Stubb explained Finland's position on messaging service X, saying Finland aims to promote a two-state solution and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
"If realised, UN membership should not just remain merely symbolic but must be part of a jointly agreed plan that produces tangible improvements in the situation of the Palestinians and the security of the region. Unfortunately, we are not in such a situation yet," Stubb wrote.
He also noted that Finland's position on the matter was reached by his office and the government's foreign and security policy committee (TP-UTVA).
The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state. Any application seeking full UN membership must first be approved by the 15-member Security Council followed by the General Assembly.
Source: Reuters
