For Mideast stability:
Palestinian state crucial - Indian PM
SAUDI ARABIA: Ind- ia's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Monday
that an independent Palestinian state was key to Middle East stability
and called on Pakistan to "act decisively" against terrorism.
"There is no issue more important for peace and stability in the
region than the question of Palestine," Singh told members of the Saudi
Shura Council, the kingdom's appointed consultative body, in Riyadh.
"For far too long the brave people of Palestine have been denied
their just, legitimate and inalienable rights, including most of all the
establishment of a sovereign, independent and viable Palestinian state,"
he said. Singh, on the third and final day of a state visit to Saudi
Arabia, also said that good relations with India's neighbour Pakistan
hinged on its actions against terrorism.
"Our objective is a permanent peace (with Pakistan) because we
recognise that we are bound together by a shared future," he said.
"But to realise this vision, Pakistan must act decisively against
terrorism. If Pakistan cooperates with India, there is no problem that
we cannot solve," Singh said.
A bilateral cooperation agreement which Singh signed with King
Abdullah after talks late on Sunday also emphasized the need for an
independent Palestinian state.
In the agreement the two leaders "stressed that Israel's continued
building of settlements is a major obstacle to the peace process.
Riyadh, Tuesday, AFP
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