Palestinian Pres. arrives in New Delhi to oversee embassy plans

NEW DELHI, Oct 6 – President of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas along with Foreign Minister Riyad Al-Maliki will head to India’s capital New Delhi late Monday, on an official three-day state visit aimed at overseeing plans for a Palestinian embassy to India.

Official sources in New Delhi said that the Indian government has provided land for an embassy as “a gift to the Palestinian government and its people and a token of friendship between both countries.” The sources added that the Palestinian officials are to also discuss issues of joint importance, the state of affairs in West Asia and the Middle East peace process with both President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Abbas will meet with other Indian officials as well like Vice President Shri Mohammad Hamid Ansari, Head of India’s Congress Party Sonia Gandhi and Leader of India’s opposition Bharatiya Janata Party LK Advani.