RAMALLAH, Tuesday, August 15, 2023 (WAFA) – Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh today congratulated India on the occasion of its 77th Independence Day, stating that the friendship between India and Palestine is not new, and late president Yasser Arafat led an unprecedented diplomatic action with India and formed extraordinary friendships with the various Indian leaders.
“India has remained in the heart of every Palestinian. For Indians, Palestine means justice, peace, the right to self-determination, and confronting injustice and occupation,” he said.
The representative office of India held a celebration today in Ramallah marking India’s Independence Day attended by Prime Minister Shtayyeh, representatives of diplomatic missions in Palestine, and Indian nationals.
“Palestine has learned a lot from India, and the Indian-Palestinian friendship is a source of pride for us and we will work to develop them,” said Shtayyeh during a speech he delivered during the occasion.
For her part, Representative of India to the State of Palestine Renu Yadav stressed in a speech she delivered during the celebration that “the story of India is incomplete if we don’t talk about the relations between India and Palestine.”
“The friendship between our two countries is time-tested,” she said, adding that the presence of Shtayyeh at the event is the embodiment of this friendship.
“Since the beginning, India has been vocal about its unwavering support for Palestine and the Palestinian cause. Over the years, the relations between our two countries have diversified in various areas which include agriculture, IT, education and health. And these diversified relations are underpinned by strong People-to-People ties between our two countries,” she said.
“I am confident that as India moves ahead in its journey, friends like Palestine will remain an important partner,” added the Indian official.
T.R./M.K.
