"Our major military allies and most of our neighbors did not vote in favor of this resolution. These countries include, among others, the USA, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Latvia, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, the United Kingdom and Ukraine," Reinsalu said in a statement on Thursday.

"It would have been wise for Estonia not to vote in favor of this issue," he said.

Reinsalu explained that earlier, as foreign minister, he had given a clear instruction in the Foreign Ministry that if the positions of the EU countries in the UN were divided on this issue, Estonia would not vote against the U.S. position.

"Now there has been a policy change. Why?" he went on.

"From what I've heard, Prime Minister [Kaja] Kallas has been particularly active personally contacting the Latvian, Lithuanian, Finnish and Swedish governments to persuade them to vote in favor," he continued.

"Why was this necessary? This action was explained by the fact that Kallas is campaigning for the EU job, which began with a desire to please some member states, especially in view of France's position," he said.

If true, it is inappropriate to change policy and even try to convince other countries in the region, he said.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Estonia supports the two-state solution

At the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Friday, Estonia voted in favor of a resolution that upgrades the status of the Palestinian observer state and calls for its offer of full membership. The European Union split the vote in half, with 14 countries supporting the resolution, 11 abstaining, and two countries voting against it.

"Estonia, together with other EU countries, has consistently supported the two-state solution and voting in favor shows the consistency of our policy," foreign ministry spokeswoman Bretty Sarapuu told ERR. "The resolution has very broad international support, backed by 143 UN member states."

"Giving Palestinians additional rights to work in the UN General Assembly is a logical step to better involve Palestinians in the work of the UN. Palestine currently enjoys full membership in for example the International Criminal Court and UNESCO," Sarapuu said.

"Supporting the resolution is essential for strengthening our cooperation with global partners. It is in Estonia's interest to find a quick political solution to the Middle East crisis," she said.

"The resolution does not imply the recognition of Palestine. The recognition of Palestine is a separate process that requires a decision by the government," the representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

Palestine's full UN membership requires a recommendation from the UN Security Council, but its permanent and veto-wielding member, the U.S., has so far opposed it.

The U.S., together with the Czech Republic, Hungary, Israel, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Argentina, voted against the resolution adopted by the General Assembly on Friday.

In the resolution, the General Assembly found that the Palestinian state qualified for such status and recommended that the UN Security Council "favorably reconsider the issue."

None of the upgrades to Palestine's status will come into effect before the opening of the new session of the General Assembly on September 10.

The vote divided the European Union, with 14 of the 27 member states supporting the resolution, 11 abstaining, and two voting against – Hungary and the Czech Republic.

Estonia, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Greece, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Malta, and Slovenia all voted in favor.

Estonia's close neighbors Latvia, Lithuania, Finland and Sweden abstained.

Explaining his country's abstention, Finnish President Alexander Stubb said that while Finland supports a two-state solution and an independent, internationally recognized Palestinian state as a full member of the United Nations, it is important that membership does not remain merely symbolic, but is part of a broad, jointly agreed plan that brings concrete improvements to the situation of Palestinians and to the security of the region.

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