Palestian President Mahmoud Abbas paid official visit to India. After the restricted talks India and Palestine sign five agreements. These were MoU on visa exemption for diplomatic passport holder, agriculture cooperation, cooperation in field of IT & Electronics, health sector and cooperation in the field of youth affairs and sports.
PM Narendra Modi said India has been unwavering in its support to Palestine. He said that India hope to see a sovereign, independent, united and viable Palestine, co-existing peacefully with Israel.
India also called for early resumption of talks between Palestinian and Israeli sides to find a comprehensive resolution. India has been contributing to material & technical assistance to Palestine. India has been building a techno Park in Ramallah at the cost of $12 million.
The two nations decided to strengthen cooperation enabling sharing of information and perspectives to fight international terror as Abbas and Modi held wide ranging discussions on the volatile situation in West Asia.
The two sides agreed that the challenges in West Asia must be addressed through sustained political dialogue and peaceful means, including in Syria.
In what came as reassurance to Abbas was Modi’s remarks on creation of a sovereign Palestine notwithstanding growing bonhomie between Delhi and Tel Aviv.
It may be recalled that India’s ties with Israel expanded simultaneously with expansion of its partnership with Arab World during the past two decades. It is understood that during his trip to Israel, Modi and the leadership there will discuss on the issue of negiations between Palestinians and Israelis for a lasting solution to the protracted crisis.
India was the first non-Arab country to contemporaneously recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s authority as “the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people.” A PLO office was set up in the Indian capital in 1975, with full diplomatic relations established in March 1980. In return, India opened a Representative Office in Gaza on 25 June 1996.
India has thus consistently supported the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to a State and the consequent imperative need for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region based on United Nations Security Council resolution 242, 338 and 425, as well as the principle of “Land for Peace.” India has also supported the Madrid Conference of October, 1991.