PM Modi expressed “deep concern” on Gaza situation, reiterated only ‘two-state solution’ can deliver sustainable peace: Foreign Secy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his bilateral meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, expressed deep concerns at the unfolding crisis in Gaza, and also reiterated that only a two-state solution can deliver sustainable peace in this area, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Monday (local time).

PM Modi also referred to India’s historic support for Palestine in the United Nations, on the international stage, as well as the consistent and sustained humanitarian support to the Palestinian people.

“In the Prime Minister’s meeting with the President of Palestine, the Prime Minister referred to India’s historic support for Palestine in the United Nations on the international stage as also the consistent and sustained humanitarian support that India has provided to Palestine in the fields of health, education, capacity building and others,” Misri said in a special briefing following the conclusion of PM Modi’s US visit.

“He (PM Modi) also expressed deep concern at the unfolding crisis in Gaza, where the situation remains complicated and tensions remain high and reiterated once again that only a two-state solution can deliver sustainable peace in this area,” he added.

The Foreign Secretary further said that Palestinian President also thanked Prime Minister Modi for the humanitarian assistance as well as the political support on the international stage.

“The President of Palestine thanked the Prime Minister for the assistance that India had provided, including on political issues and hoped that India would continue to play its role in bringing peace to the region,” Misri said.

“President Abbas did explicitly state that he was very appreciative of India’s support, not just for humanitarian assistance, but also for India’s political support to Palestine on the international stage,” he added.

He reiterated India’s position on the issue of Israel-Palestine conflict and affirmed that India will continue to provide support to Palestine.

“Our fundamental position on the Palestine issue remains what it has long been in the present context, there’s much greater urgency related to issues of humanitarian assistance and support, which we have continued to provide, and will continue to provide,” the Foreign Secretary said.

PM Modi concluded “a very intense and successful visit to the United States,” Misri earlier said in the briefing. The Prime Minister will depart for India shortly.

The Prime Minister held bilateral meetings with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and Vietnamese President To Lam on Monday.

Earlier on Sunday, he also held bilateral meetings with Nepali Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli and Kuwait Crown Prince Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Mubarak Al-Sabah.

Being asked about any request from the Bangladesh side for a bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Bangladesh interim PM Muhammad Yunus, the Foreign Secretary said that there was no possibility of any meeting between the two leaders because of different schedules.

“As you are aware, the Prime Minister is leaving in a few minutes from now. The chief adviser of Bangladesh is not here yet, so there has not been any possibility of a meeting on this occasion,” he stated.

Earlier in the day, PM Modi addressed the 79th United Nations General Assembly’s ‘Summit of the Future’ event and spoke on a wide array of issues, including the importance of safe and responsible use of technology and said that Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) should be a bridge and not a barrier.

PM Modi also called for reforms in the global institutions and termed reforms the “key to relevance.”

He also spoke on cyber, maritime and space as a new emerging areas of conflict and that it is high time that “global action must match global ambition.” He also asserted that India is committed to protecting the interests of humanity and said that ‘One earth, One Family and One future’ is a commitment of the country.

The Foreign Secretary appreciated that the UN Summit document has a detailed paragraph on UN Security Council reforms, which is a “very good beginning.”

“I would only point you in the direction of the fact that for the first time, a UN Summit document has a detailed paragraph on UN Security Council reform, so it may not have every single detail in every area that we would imagine or we would like there to be but I think it’s a good beginning and we look forward eventually to the beginning of text-based negotiations in a fixed time frame going forward. But this should be seen as the first step towards that objective and the fact that till now we haven’t really had discussions on the basis of text but an agreement at this level in the pact where it keeps open the possibilities of a reform of the UN system is a gain from any perspective,” he stated.

Earlier on Sunday, Prime Minister Modi interacted with the top tech leaders and CEOs of the USA in a Roundtable hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering in New York.

He emphasised India’s growth prospects and discussed initiatives to foster collaborations and innovation across diverse sectors, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated.

The Prime Minister also addressed a huge gathering of the Indian diaspora at the Nassau Coliseum in New York.

On Saturday, PM Modi took part in the Quad Leaders’ Summit and held bilateral meetings with US President Joe Biden, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.