By IANS,
New Delhi : Nabil Shaath, the special envoy of Palestine National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Wednesday sought India’s support for a proposed vote seeking the recognition of Palestinian statehood during the UN session in September.
Shaath, who is on a two day visit to India, met External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Minister of State State for External Affairs E. Ahamed.
He handed over messages from Abbas addressed to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and President Pratibha Patil, seeking India’s support for the Palestinian cause especially during the forthcoming UN session.
Krishna reiterated “India’s strong and unwavering support to the Palestinian cause and assured that India shall continue to adhere to its principled stand on Palestine,” the external affairs ministry said in a statement.
The special envoy expressed deep appreciation for India’s continued support to the Palestinians.
India was the first non-Arab state to recognize the state of Palestine in 1988, pursuant to Algiers declaration for a Palestinian state in 1988.
Abbas will personally present the request for UN membership to UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon at the opening of the sixty-sixth session in New York Sept 20.