NEW DELHI, 28 August 2003 — India said yesterday it would host Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath this week, a move seen as a balancing act by New Delhi ahead of a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon next month.
Sharon is due to begin a three-day visit to India on Sept. 9, the first by an Israeli prime minister since the two countries established full diplomatic relations 11 years ago.
Indian newspapers have said that New Delhi did not want Sharon’s visit to send wrong signals to its old Palestinian friends, or to India’s large Muslim population.
Indian Foreign Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna said Shaath would visit India from Aug. 29 to 31 in response to a January 2003 invitation by Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha.
“India has consistently supported the Palestinian cause. This long-standing position has roots in India’s traditional ties with the Arab world,” Sarna told reporters.
