Modi hopes Palestine will soon be free, peacefully

President Abbas wants India to play role in talks with Israel

Narendra Modi, who on Saturday became the first Indian Prime Minister to officially visit Palestine, underlined India’s support for a soverign and independent Palestine, and held out hope that it will become a free country soon in a peaceful manner.

Mr Modi held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during which the latter sought India’s help in achieving “just and desired peace” with Israel, adding that while he is ready to engage in negotiations with Israel, East Jerusalem should be the capital of Palestine.

“I have assured President Abbas that India is bound by a promise to take care of Palestinian people’s interests. India hopes that soon Palestine will become a free country in a peaceful manner,” said Mr Modi.

“We hope for peace and stability in Palestine, we believe a permanent solution is possible with dialogue,” said Mr Modi.

President Abbas said, “We rely on India’s role as an international voice of great standing and weight through its historical role in the Non- Aligned Movement and in all international forum and its increasingly growing power on the strategic and economic levels, in a way that is conducive to just and desired peace in our region.”

“We have not and will not reject negotiations ever and we have said and we still say that we are ready to engage in negotiations, the formation of a multi- lateral mechanism

President Mahmoud Abbas conferred his country’s highest award, the ‘ Grand Collar of the State of Palestine’, on PM Modi in recognition of his contribution to enhancing relations between India and Palestine ●

‘ We know it is not easy but we need to keep trying as a lot is at stake,’ Mr Modi said standing at Al Muqata’a, the Palestine National Authority headquarters in Ramallah, with President Abbas by his side ●

The 2 sides signed 6 agreements worth around $ 45m. The agreements include setting up of a $ 30 million super speciality hospital, a centre for women’s empowerment and two schools

that is produced by an international peace convention is the most ideal way to broker such negotiations,” the 82- year- old

— AFP Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the media after his meet with Palestine President Mahmud Abbas in the West Bank city of Ramallah on Saturday.