India celebrates national day in Ramallah

Celebrating the 64th anniversary of the Republic Day of India, the Indian national day, in Ramallah on Monday, Indian representative to the Palestinian Authority, B.S, Mubarak, said that India hopes peace talks between Palestine and Israel would lead to an independent and sovereign Palestinian state.“We welcome the resumption of peace talks between the Palestinian and Israeli sides and remain hopeful that the negotiations would lead to a final resolution resulting in a sovereign, independent state of Palestine,” said Mubarak.He stressed the good bilateral relations between Palestine and India, emphasizing that his country 'will always stand by your side and be an ally to Palestine until you achieve your goals in freedom and independence --long live India, long live Palestine.”Member of Fatah Central Committee, Nabil Shaath, congratulated India on this occasion.“On behalf of President Mahmoud Abbas and all the people of Palestine I convey our congratulations and best wishes for a long future of prosperity, independence, democracy, and social justice for India and its people,” he said speaking at the reception.“We have given the world a clear vision that we are really for peace anytime there is an opportunity to work for peace,' he said.'But we are not doing that to surrender our national objectives; on the contrary, we insist on independence, democracy, return of refugees, and insist on building a state that can make peace, security and a future for its own people to be a real ally of India,” he added.“Our friendship with India goes back to before its independence during its struggle - the people of Palestine will continue to rely on India’s great support in our continued quest to reach our own peace, independence, and democracy, and to have our state recognized by everybody,” Shaath concluded.