India’s support for Palestinian cause remains absolute, undiluted: Swaraj

Underlining its “absolute and undiluted” commitment to the Palestinian cause, India has unveiled three core tenets that underpin its policy.   The three core tenets include solidarity with Palestinian people, support to the Palestinian cause and support to nation-building and capacity-building efforts. India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, who is on her first visit to West Asia, emphasised that there has been “absolutely no change in its policy in this regard”. Mrs Swaraj held talks with her Palestine counterpart Riyad al-Maliki and also met President Mahmoud Abbas. Highlighting India’s support to the Palestine cause across the political spectrum,  Mrs Swaraj said: “India’s empathy with the Palestinian cause and our friendship with the Palestinian people remain undiluted. This is an integral part of our foreign policy.” Development partnership remains the centerpiece of India-Palestine relations. Inaugurating the India-Palestine Digital learning and Innovation Centre at Al Quds University, Mrs Swaraj spoke about India’s plans for closer political interaction and deeper economic and academic engagement with Palestine. Palestine sought India’s participation in the West Asia peace process to help defuse crisis in the region. “India’s wisdom and political insight can be very useful in defusing tensions in the region,” Mr Al-Maliki said, while describing India as “not just a friend but a brother”.   Stressing on India’s capacity building initiatives in Palestine, Mrs Swaraj said that India’s strengths in IT and IT-enabled services could immensely benefit the Palestinian economy and society. Bolstering the capacity building initiatives, India has committed to build another Centre for Excellence in ICT and Innovation in Gaza city. India is also developing a techno park in Ramallah. This is the second high-profile visit from India to Palestine, with President Pranab Mukheejee visiting Palestine, along with Israel and Jordan, in October.