Singh writes to Abbas, assures India's support at the UN

New York, Sep 20 (PTI) Indian Prime Minister Manmohan
Singh has written a letter to Palestinian President Mahmoud
Abbas assuring him of India's "full support" for his country's
bid for statehood at the UN.
"India has always supported the Palestinian people in
their pursuit of legitimate goals and for development with
dignity and self reliance. I assure you of India's full
support in the United Nations," Singh wrote in the letter to
Abbas.
India's Permanent Representative to the UN Hardeep Singh
Puri read out the one-page letter at a briefing with Indian
reporters here.
The letter, written Tuesday, was in response to an
August 21 communication by Abbas to the Prime Minister
"regarding the initiative to seek full membership for
Palestine in the UN."
"India's relations with Palestine are historic and
firmly rooted in our national ethos. India has been unwavering
in its support for 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
recognisable borders side by side and at peace with Israel" as
endorsed in the Arab peace initiative quartet road map and the
relevant UN Security Council resolution, Singh said in the
letter.
Puri rubbished claims that India would not extend
support to Palestine, saying India was the first non-Arab
country to recognise the Palestinian aspiration for statehood.
Abbas, who is in the city for the 66th session of the UN
General Assembly, on Tuesday conveyed to UN Secretary General
Ban Ki-Moon that he will submit to him on Friday an
application for Palestinian membership in the UN.