PM’s Palestine visit: Aid for a Diplomatic Institute

Prime Minister Modi will be the first prime minister to visit Palestine in 2018. He will fly to Palestine on February 10th. During his visit, the relationship with Israel is going to become politically stronger. This might be Modi’s newest move yet to make India more globally linked.

PM Modi’s Palestine visit

During his visit, among the topics for discussion will be agriculture and capacity-building among other things. He will lay the foundation stone of the new diplomatic training institute. India has granted $4.5 million to the Institute in Ramallah as well. This will be a new cornerstone in India’s relationship with Palestine. MoUs in agriculture is expected to be signed by both sides.

India’s relationship with Palestine goes way back to 1947, it even is one of the members of the UN committee for Palestine. The visit to Ramallah will be part of the prime minister’s 3-nation tour to the Arab world from 9th to 12th February. The other two nations include UAE and Oman. The Palestine tour is taking place after his visit to Israel which was historical in its own way. That India would provide a portion of funding for IT-training in Palestine was sealed in a deal signed when Mohammad Abbas visited Delhi in May 2017.

Implications

The visit is sure to strengthen ties between India and Palestine. India also pledged $1.25 million to the humanitarian cause of UNRWA ( UN Relief and Work Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) in 2016. The amount funding to Palestine is also indicated to increase with PM Modi’s visit there. That this strategy will prove good for India will only become certain in the future. What will this extension of relations mean in the future to both India and Palestine? Hopefully, India’s investment will prove to be successful for both parties involved. Such a move definitely contrasts America’s decisions involving Palestine. But, Palestine will always be a place where India must tread carefully.