HELSINKI: Finland’s President Alexander Stubb has said he is ready to approve a recognition of a Palestinian state if the government moves forward with such a proposal, after many countries, including France and Canada, pledged to recognise the state alongside the 80th UN General Assembly in September.

“The decisions by France, the United Kingdom and Canada reinforce the trend towards recognising Palestine as part of efforts to breathe new life into the peace process,” Stubb said in a post to X.

“If I receive a proposal to recognise the Palestinian state, I am prepared to approve it,” Stubb said, deploring an “inhumane” situation in Gaza.

Finland’s Prime Minister Petteri Orpo on Friday reiterated Helsinki’s support for a two-state solution, without specifying whether the government was ready to recognise a Palestinian state.

Published in Dawn, August 2nd, 2025