RamallahIndia hopes Palestine soon becomes a free country, and does so in a peaceful manner, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said Friday in Ramallah, while making a joint statement with the sovereign state’s president, Mahmoud Abbas.
Modi said he had assured Abbas that New Delhi was bound by a promise to take care of the interests of the Palestinian people.
He was earlier conferred The Grand Collar of the State of Palestine, the highest order given to foreign dignitaries. The commendation acknowledged Modi’s “support to our peoples right to independence and freedom so that peace prevails in the region.”
The prime minister thanked President Abbas for the recognition. He said it was an honour for India, and a symbol of Palestine’s friendship.
“In recognition of his (Narendra Modi’s) wise leadership and his lofty national and international stature, and in appreciation of his efforts to promote the historic relations between the State of Palestine and the Republic of India…In acknowledgement of his support to our peoples right to independence and freedom so that peace prevails in the region”.
– The commendation that came with the Grand Collar of the State of Palestine
Modi said India hoped for peace and stability in Palestine, and that only dialogue could make a permanent solution possible. He emphasized the importance of diplomacy and far-sightedness, and lauded the Palestinian people’s courage, which he said was exemplary.
The prime minister said India was aiding the construction of an Institute of Diplomacy in Palestine, and doubling the exchange of students.
De-Hyphenating Ties With Israel, Palestine
Modi’s visit to Palestine, part of a three-nation tour, comes weeks after he welcomed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahi to India. He is the first Indian prime minister to visit both Israel and Palestine.
B Bala Bhaskar, a joint secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, said India has “de-hyphenated” its relations with Palestine and Israel.
“Now we see them both as mutually independent and exclusive and as part of this policy the prime minister is undertaking this visit.” he explained.
India was one of the earliest champions of the Palestinian cause, but in recent years turned to Israel for high-tech military equipment and anti-terrorism cooperation.
Officials have said India continues to support the Palestinian cause, and that Modi’s visit is aimed at helping build up the Palestinians’ capacity in the health, information technology and education areas.
India was among more than 120 countries to vote in favour of a resolution in December calling for the United States to drop its recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israels capital. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told India Today in an exclusive interview that his government was, “naturally,” disappointed.
But he also stressed that he didn’t think one vote affected the general trend of India-Israel relations, which he said was moving forward on many fronts.
Modi Pledges $40 Million for Palestinian Development
Narendra Modi pledged $40 million for economic development in the Palestinian territories, marking the first-ever visit by an Indian prime minister to the West Bank.
We discussed regional and global developments that have a role in peace in the world and in the region, Modi said Saturday in Ramallah, where he appeared alongside Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. Modi said he hoped peace could be reached quickly, through dialogue and understanding.
The trip follows Modis visit to Israel last summer, where he opted not to make a detour to the West Bank as part of New Delhis efforts to “de-hyphenate” its relations with Israel and the Palestinians. Last month Modi hosted Benjamin Netanyahu on a week-long visit to India, where the prime minister pitched Israeli prowess in security and technology and sought to revive a half-billion dollar missile deal.
Even as Modi dramatically tightens Indias ties with Israel, New Delhi has continued its longstanding support of the Palestinians in international forums. In early January India backed a United Nations resolution condemning U.S. President Donald Trumps recognition of Jerusalem as capital of the Jewish state.
New Delhi already sponsors several development projects in Palestinian territories, and Modi said Saturday the $40 million would go for media equipment, schools and a hospital. Modi also visited the tomb of Yasser Arafat, Abbass predecessor, before talks with the current leadership.
We count on India, an international force on a strategic and economic level, to help Palestinians achieve a just peace in our region, Abbas said at the press conference.
Modi also will visit the United Arab Emirates and Oman, where there are sizable communities of expatriate Indian workers, before returning to India.
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