India supports Palestinian people's right for state

Ansari, who is on a six-day visit to Turkey to boost bilateral ties and international cooperation between the two countries said that India abhors any attempt aimed at disruption of the national unity and the territorial integrity of states and stands steadfast to the basic principle of full sovereignty and independence of peoples, and their states.

Dwelling on the international political situation in and around the region, Ansari spoke at length on the Palestine issue amid clappings from Turkish students and teachers in Mevlana University at Konya, where he was conferred the honorary doctorate degree as well as honorary membership of Konya.

"A primary cause of tension, instability and violence in the region is the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.

India fully supports the Palestinian people`s struggle for a sovereign, independent, viable and united state of Palestine with East Jerusalem as its capital, living within secure and recognizable borders side by side and at peace with Israel," Ansari said.

He noted that the conflict in Palestine is political and cannot be resolved by force but at the same time maintained that "protracted negotiations over decades" have not achieved the national goals of the Palestinian people and have "fuelled disappointment and anger".

He also stressed that India was the first non-Arab country to recognize the Palestinian State in 1988 and will support its aspirations in the United Nations.

On the  upheaval in Libya, he said it is characterised by a fast changing situation and added that India believe that the normalisation of the situation should be in the hands of the Libyan people themselves - guided by democratic norms, respecting popular aspirations and preserving the sovereignty and integrity of Libya.

Ansari also expressed India's concern at the unfolding situation in Syria which has resulted in many deaths of civilians and security personnel.

"We deplore all violence, irrespective of who the perpetrators are. The Syrian government has announced some far-reaching measures and it should be given the time and space to implement them.

The actions of the international community should facilitate an inclusive political engagement of the Syrian government and the opposition, rather than complicate the situation through threats of sanctions," he said.

Maintaining that India firmly believes that observance of the rule of law is as important in international affairs as it is within countries, he  said  political, societal and economic destiny must be the choice of people.

The international community has a role in assisting the process of transition, but that does not extend to imposition of external prescriptions, he added.

"We cannot but notice the pockets of turbulence in our common area. India and West Asia have enjoyed cultural, intellectual and commercial ties since ancient times.

The turmoil that some countries in West Asia and North Africa have experienced in recent months is a matter of great concern to us."

The people of the region seek to shape their own future and their wishes must prevail. However, violent means must be abjured by all sides.  As a member of the Security Council since the beginning of this year, India has been underlining the need to resolve conflicts through political negotiations and diplomatic means, rather than through the use of force," he said.

On the strife in Afghanistan, geographically poised between south and central Asia, he said the fratricidal conflict there is a threat to regional and international peace and security.

"It is India's view that the peace process should be Afghan-led, transparent, inclusive, and based on the acceptance of the Afghan Constitution.

Our civilisational links with Afghanistan and our close friendship are embodied in the landmark Strategic Partnership Agreement that we signed during President Karzai’s visit to India last week,"  Ansari said.

He stressed that the international community must take effective measures to guarantee the sovereignty, territorial integrity and unity of Afghanistan.

"The Afghan people have suffered enough and must be allowed to decide their destiny without external interference, coercion or intimidation. India will participate in the forthcoming conferences in Istanbul and Bonn to contribute to regional and international initiatives to support Afghanistan's efforts at nation building," Ansari said.

The Vice President said India subscribes to the emerging patterns of partnership in Asia based on Asian regionalism, inter-regional dialogue forums with other regions, global and multilateral organizations, and robust bilateral cooperation.

On the issue of UN reforms Ansari said that India, like Turkey, is a strong proponent of multilateral-ism and has been actively involved in the work of the United Nations.

"We believe reform and restructuring of the UN is necessary to make it better equipped to respond effectively in an era of transformational change in global affairs. The call for democratisation can not be limited to nations and states, but must also extend to global governance," he said.

On the issue of counter terrorism, Ansari said unless there is a cooperative framework among states and peoples, today's challenges cannot be faced.
Terming terrorism as an immediate threat to all nations, he said the scourge knows no national boundaries.

"India has called for the adoption of a Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism to help eradicate this scourge," he said.

Ansari said both India and Turkey  have faced terrorism and have collaborated at international fora on combating terrorism.

"We also have a common stake in the emergence of a cooperative multi-polar world order which recognises the legitimate aspirations of all countries, big and small," he said.

He said the enhanced engagement between India and Turkey is in the interests of peoples of both countries and the regions, global peace and cooperation, and tolerance and peaceful co-existence among nations.