India supports UN membership for Palestine: MEA

New Delhi, Jul 14 (PTI) India has backed Palestine's bid for United Nations membership and reaffirmed its support for a two-state solution to the festering conflict between the Palestinian people and Israel. New Delhi's position on Palestine was apprised by Sripriya Ranganathan, a secretary at the external affairs ministry during a ministerial meeting of the Palestine Donor Group, held in Brussels on Monday. India has been backing a vision of a "two-state" solution with Israel and Palestine living side by side in peace and security within recognised borders, consistent with international law. At the Palestine Donor Group meeting, Ranganathan emphasised that India has been a long standing partner of the Palestinian people, and reaffirmed India's continued support to a two-state solution as well as to Palestine's membership of the UN, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). She underlined India's ongoing developmental assistance, including capacity building programmes and humanitarian assistance to the people of Palestine, noting that India's projects are demand-driven and largely centred on healthcare, education, capacity building, and vocational training, it said. While stating that India is currently engaged in major projects in healthcare, women's empowerment and institution building in Palestine, she announced several new projects focused on rehabilitation, health, education and vocational training, the MEA added in a statement. PTI MPB DV DV