India on Thursday welcomed the signing of the Abraham Accords by the United States, Israel, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and reiterated its call for direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians for a “two-state solution. ”.
US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu joined the Foreign Ministers of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in signing the historic agreements aimed at normalizing relations between Israel and the Arab countries. .
They came almost 26 years after the signing of a declaration for a peace agreement between Israel and Jordan.
“We have followed the Abraham Accords signed in Washington DC by the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Israel and the United States. As I said earlier, India has always supported peace and stability in Western Asia, which is our extended neighborhood, ”Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said at a weekly press conference.
“As such, we welcome these agreements for the normalization of relations between Israel and the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain,” he added.
Srivastava reflected the delicate balance reached by India in its ties with Israel and the Arab states when he said that New Delhi “will also continue our traditional support for the Palestinian cause.”
India, he said, looks forward to the “early resumption of direct negotiations for an acceptable two-state solution.”
Also read: What the Israel-UAE-Bahrain agreement means for India and the world
Prime Minister Narendra Modi became the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel, with whom India has forged strong ties in the fields of defense, technology and trade. At the same time, the Modi government has worked assiduously to woo Arab countries in West Asia, which is home to some eight million expatriates and a key source of energy.
Under the Abraham Accords, the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain will normalize their relations with Israel and expand commitments in politics, security, trade and connectivity. More Arab states are expected to sign similar agreements with Israel, while some countries like Saudi Arabia have said they support the Palestinian people and seek a comprehensive solution to the Palestinian problem.
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