Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi called on the Government of Finland to state its recognition of the state of Palestine during a courtesy call with Finnish President Alexander Stubb in Helsinki, Thursday (June 13).

"Finland has stated that its recognition is a matter of if rather than when, meaning it is just a matter of time before it announces the recognition," she remarked while giving an online press statement in Helsinki.

Marsudi remarked that Indonesia is paying close attention to Finland's stance on this matter, especially concerning President Stubb's statement that his side is planning to recognize Palestine's statehood "at some point in the future."

"This is where I came in, suggesting it would be better for Finland to state its recognition soon, considering that recognition of Palestine is vital to the actualization of the two-state solution," she stated.

During the meeting, the two figures also touched upon the urgency of immediately realizing a lasting ceasefire in Gaza.

The minister underscored that Indonesia and Finland are on the same page regarding this matter, adding that both countries view the two-state solution as key to putting an end to the prolonged violent conflict.

"We share the same view of the importance of implementing UN Security Council Resolution 2735 at the earliest. We hope that all countries will exert their influence to urge the warring parties to willingly implement the resolution," she pointed out.

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The resolution, adopted on June 10, states the UNSC's support for the three-phase ceasefire proposal endorsed by US President Joe Biden.

For the first phase, the proposal pushes for a total ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza residential epicenters, and the mutual release of some Palestinian and Israeli hostages and prisoners.

During the second phase, the Palestinian Hamas and Israel would reach a permanent cessation of hostilities and pursue the release of remaining hostages and prisoners, as well as the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

Meanwhile, in the final phase, the three-to-five-year reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip would commence.

The number of countries recognizing the Palestinian state has recently increased to 145 out of 193 UN member states, following the recognition made by Spain, Norway, Ireland, and Slovenia.

Meanwhile, the United States, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and several Western European countries have yet to join the 145 nations.

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Translator: Tegar Nurfitra
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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