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India hopes for sovereign Palestine co-existing with Israel, sign 5 deals during Abbas visit

By FnF Correspondent | PUBLISHED: 17, May 2017, 13:56 pm IST | UPDATED: 17, May 2017, 15:50 pm IST

India hopes for sovereign Palestine co-existing with Israel, sign 5 deals during Abbas visit New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Indian support to the Palestinian cause is “unwavering” as he hosted President Mahmoud Abbas ahead of his visit to Israel in July.

Modi said India hopes to see a sovereign, united and an independent Palestine, co-existing peacefully with Israel and urged for early resumption of talks between Palestinian and Israeli representatives.

“The relationship between India and Palestine is built on the foundation of long-standing solidarity and friendship since the days of our own freedom struggle”, Modi said addressing a joint press conference with Abbas.

“We hope to see the realisation of a sovereign, independent, united and viable Palestine, co-existing peacefully with Israel. I have reaffirmed our position on this to President Abbas”, he said.

Modi’s remarks come ahead of his scheduled visit to the Jewish state, the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel. His government has been stepping up ties with Israel, and this year marks the 25th anniversary of India-Israel ties.

President Abbas said Palestine appreciates the solidarity India extends to its cause.

“India is a friend. It has influence at the international level. India can play an important role (in the resolving Palestine Israel crisis),” Abbas said.

Abbas also said that he recently had meetings with US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin and discussed possibilities of an early resolution to the long-pending dispute with a two-state solution.

Modi and the Palestine President had an extensive exchange of views on West Asia and the Middle East peace process, with the Prime Minister saying the challenges in West Asia should be addressed through sustained political dialogue and peaceful means.

Abbas also condemned terrorism in all forms.

After extensive and wide-ranging talks between Modi and Abbas, the two sides signed five agreements.

The two sides signed agreements for visa exemptions for diplomatic passport holders, in the fields of agriculture cooperation, IT and electronics, health sector and cooperation in the field of youth affairs and sports.

“We would continue to support development and capacity of the Palestine. The agreements concluded today are reaffirmation of our intent to strengthen cooperation in this direction,” Modi said.

Here are the Press Statement by PM Narendra Modi during the State Visit of President of Palestine to India

Your Excellency, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the State of Palestine,
Members of the Palestinian and Indian delegations,
Members of the media,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am delighted to welcome back President Mahmoud Abbas, an old friend of India, on his State visit to India. The relationship between India and Palestine is built on the foundation of long-standing solidarity and friendship since the days of our own freedom struggle. India has been unwavering in its support of the Palestinian cause. And ,we hope to see the realization of a sovereign, independent, united and viable Palestine, co-existing peacefully with Israel. I have reaffirmed our position on this to President Abbas during our conversation today.

Friends,

President Abbas and I have just concluded useful and detailed discussions that will add further strength to our partnership. We had extensive exchange of views on the situation in West Asia and the Middle East Peace Process. We agreed that the challenges in West Asia must be addressed through sustained political dialogue and peaceful means. India hopes for early resumption of talks between Palestinian and Israeli sides to move towards finding a comprehensive resolution. At the bilateral level, India is committed to be a useful development partner of Palestine. President Abbas and I agreed that both sides, through practical cooperation, will work together to build Palestine’s economy and contribute to improving the lives of its people. We will continue to support the development and capacity-building efforts of Palestine. The agreements concluded today are reaffirmation of our intent to strengthen cooperation in this direction. We have also taken up for particular emphasis the areas of information technology, youth and skills development in the assistance provided by India. India is undertaking project assistance for a flagship Techno-park project in Ramallah. Once completed, it will serve as an IT hub in Palestine offering a one-stop solution for all IT-related training and services. We also look forward to enhancing our cultural exchanges by adding new elements including Yoga exchanges. We look forward to the Palestinian people participating in large numbers during the International Day of Yoga celebrations next month. In the end, I wish President Mahmoud Abbas and his delegation a pleasant and productive stay in India. I look forward to working together with President Abbas to further strengthen our bilateral relations.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.