Prime minister Narendra Modi became the first-ever Indian prime minister to visit Palestine when he arrived in Ramallah on Saturday. Modi came to Jordan on Friday when he was on a four-nation regional trip. This trip from 9th February to 12th February came within a month after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu visited India. These visits are strengthening the relationship between India and Israel although New Delhi has always supported the country on the Palestinian cause.
The Indian Prime Minister will be exchanging agreements and holding meetings with his counterpart in Ramallah in West Bank. In the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister, PM Modi promised India’s support for an independent and sovereign Palestine and he hoped by coming peace in the region as he concluded his short trip to Palestine. PM Modi’s counterpart President Mahmoud Abbas describes him as a great guest and said that his country was relying on India’s presence on the international stage and hoped that India will accelerate the peace proposal with Israel. For the second leg of his tour, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on his way back to Jordan’s capital Amman from where he will travel to UAE.
Prime Minister Modi said that India and Palestine have strong relations which have stood the test of time. He said that Palestine has always regarded India as a close ally and praised the country saying that the way they take decisions in such a situation is praiseworthy and Palestine has been a top priority in India’s foreign policy. He added that India will double the number of exchange students with the country from fifty to hundred. India is also giving aid for the construction of an Institute of Diplomacy in Palestine.
“People of Palestine have shown extraordinary courage in the extremely tough situation despite the extremely tough environment” he added. India and Palestine have signed agreements worth 50 million USD. The agreement includes construction of a center for empowering women worth USD 5 million and construction a super specialty hospital worth USD 30 million in Beit Sahour. Other agreements were in the education sector for $5 million and for the requirement of high-level equipment and machinery for the National Printing Press.
President Abbas while recognizing the key contribution to promote ties between India and Palestine a conferred the ‘Grand Collar of the State of Palestine’ on Prime Minister Modi. This is the highest order given only to foreign dignitaries including Heads of State/Government, kings, and persons of similar ranks. President Abbas and Prime Minister Modi exchanged hugs and inspected the guard of honor and stood for the national anthem of two countries before continuing with their bilateral talks.
PM Modi thanked President Mahmoud Abbas for his hospitality saying they had a wonderful meeting. They discussed the full range of India-Palestine ties in the meeting. He further added “We hope for stability and peace and in Palestine and we believe that a permanent solution is possible only with proper dialogue. Only farsightedness and diplomacy can set us free from violence and baggage of the past.”
