On the bilateral meetings of External affairs Minister Mr. Pranab Mukherjee in New York

New York
September 27, 2007

The External Affairs Minister returned to New York from Washington DC on the evening of Thursday, September 27. In Washington, he led the Indian delegation at the Major Economies Meeting on Energy Security and Climate Change, convened by H.E Mr George W. Bush, President of the United States.

Shortly after his return to New York, EAM called upon H. E Mr. Mahmoud Abbas, President of the Palestine Authority. The meeting took place in a warm and cordial atmosphere, with the two leaders recalling India’s historic and consistent support for the Palestinian people’s struggle for a homeland of their own, and for the Palestinian people to attain their rightful place in the comity of nations. President Mahmoud Abbas briefed EAM about the situation in the region, and gave him an update on the current state of the Middle East peace process. EAM reiterated India’s conviction that since force cannot resolve what is essentially a political dispute, a mutually-acceptable political solution must be found to resolve this dispute.