H.E. Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of State of Palestine will be on a State Visit to India from 14 to 17 May 2017, at the invitation of President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee. This is the fifth visit and the third State Visit to India by President Abbas. Earlier he had substantive meetings with Prime Minister Modi on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York in September 2015.
During the visit, President Abbas will visit C-DAC in Noida on May 15 to forge cooperation between Palestine - India Techno Park being built by India in Palestine and Indian IT industry. He will also visit India Islamic Cultural Centre in Delhi. On May 16, President Abbas will be given a ceremonial guard of honour at Rashtrapati Bhavan followed by wreath laying by him at Mahatma Gandhi's Samadhi, Raj Ghat. Rashtrapatiji will host a banquet in honour of H.E. Mahmoud Abbas. Delegation-level discussion with Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi will be held the same day. Shri M. Hamid Ansari, Vice-President and Mrs. Sushma Swaraj, Minister of External Affairs will call on President Abbas during his stay in Delhi. India and Palestine enjoy historically close and friendly ties.
Apart from the political support to the Palestinian cause, India continues to support developmental projects in Palestine by extending technical and financial assistance. The visit will provide an opportunity for reviewing the entire gamut of bilateral relations, Middle East Peace Process, regional and international issues. MoUs on cooperation in various areas are expected to be signed during the visit.
