Konya (Turkey): India fully supports the
Palestinian people`s struggle for a sovereign and independent
state with East Jerusalem as its capital, existing at peace
with Israel, Vice President Hamid Ansari said here on Thursday.
Ansari, who is on a six-day visit to Turkey to boost
bilateral ties and international cooperation between the two
countries said that India abhors any attempt aimed at
disruption of the national unity and the territorial integrity
of states and stands steadfast to the basic principle of full
sovereignty and independence of peoples, and their states.
Dwelling on the international political situation in and
around the region, Ansari spoke at length on the Palestine
issue amid clappings from Turkish students and teachers in
Mevlana University at Konya, where he was conferred the
honorary doctorate degree as well as honorary membership of
Konya.
"A primary cause of tension, instability and violence in
the region is the situation in the Occupied Palestinian
Territory.
India fully supports the Palestinian people`s struggle
for a sovereign, independent, viable and united state of
Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, living within
secure and recognizable borders side by side and at peace with
Israel," Ansari said.
He noted that the conflict in Palestine is political and
cannot be resolved by force but at the same time maintained
that "protracted negotiations over decades" have not achieved
the national goals of the Palestinian people and have "fuelled
disappointment and anger".
He also stressed that India was the first non-Arab
country to recognize the Palestinian State in 1988 and will
support its aspirations in the United Nations.
PTI
