The Hindu : National : Ahamed to visit Palestine

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2004

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National

Ahamed to visit Palestine

By Amit Baruah

NEW DELHI, SEPT. 14. India today announced that the Minister of State for External Affairs, E. Ahamed, would visit Palestine from September 17 to 19 to call on President Yasser Arafat and hold discussions with the Palestinian Foreign Minister, Nabeel Sha'ath.

A statement of the External Affairs Ministry said this evening that Mr. Ahamed's visit reflected the Manmohan Singh Government's "continued commitment and support to the Palestinian cause, including to the relief and reconstruction efforts of the Palestinian National Authority".

Talking to this correspondent from Kannur, Kerala, the Minister of State said his visit to Ramallah had been on the cards for some time. "I will also be handing over 12 Tata Sumo jeeps and Rs. 1 crore worth of medicines to the Palestinian Authority," he said.

`No comments'

Asked if his visit would mark a departure from the previous Government's pro-Israeli policies and mean a correction in course, Mr. Ahamed said he would not like to comment on the issue.

"We are simply following the Common Minimum Programme," the Minister of State maintained, pointing out that the CMP adopted by the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government was clear in its support to the Palestinian cause.

Diplomatic recognition

India became the first non-Arab state to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation (PLO) as "the sole legitimate representative of the Palestinian people" and allowed it to open its office in New Delhi in January, 1975, a note posted on the External Affairs Ministry website said.

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