Palestine relies on India for peace in region: President Mahmoud Abbas

Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas on Saturday said Palestine relies on India's role as an international force for peace in the region.

He was speaking after witnessing exchange of agreements between India and Palestine in presence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi here.

President Abbas welcomed Modi on his historic visit to the country sand said that Indian leadership has always stood by peace in Palestine.

Asserting that Palestine was ready for to engage in negotiations with India, Abbas said they rely on India's role as an international force and its role in the non-alignment movement for desired peace in the region.

"We have said and will say we are ready to engage in negotiations. We rely on India's role as an international force and its role in the non-alignment movement in a way that is conducive to desired peace in our region," President Abbas said.

He asserted Palestine's commitment to political action and negotiations as means of achieving their national goals to freedom and independence.

"Here I would like to assert our commitment to political action and negotiations as means of achieving our national goals to freedom and independence in accordance with the two states' relation along the lines of 1967," Abbas said.

Prime Minister Modi thanked Abbas for the Grand Collar of the state of Palestine conferred on him.

Prime Minister Modi's visit to Palestine comes a month after India hosted Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Modi, who is on a three-nation tour, reached Palestine on Saturday. He is the first Indian Prime Minister to step on Palestinian soil.

On Friday, Prime Minister Modi reached Jordan's capital Amman where he met King Abdullah II. He took a chopper ride to Palestine's Ramallah.