India, Greece back Palestinians statehood bid

Both the countries backed the Palestinians demand of full UN membership at the UNGA session.India extended strong support to the Palestinian bid for statehood and a seat at the United Nations on Friday.The gesture came soon after Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas urged the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to recognise the Palestinian state, despite the fact that Israel still occupies its territory and the United States has vowed to veto the move.Hailing the move, Indias Foreign Secretary, Ranjan Mathai, categorically said the country had recognised the state of Palestine since decades, and that the issue would find a place in Prime Minister Manmohan Singhs address to the General Assembly on Saturday.Our position on the Palestinian issue is an established position, it is well known. As far back as 1988, we recognised the Palestinian state. So, you should not be surprised if there is a reiteration of that (in the address of the Indian Prime Minister at the United Nations General Assembly meet), Mathai told mediapersons in New York.Meanwhile, Greek Foreign Minister Stavros Lambrinidis told the United Nations General Assembly on Friday that his country fully supports the Palestinians bid for a UN statehood recognition.Greece supports unequivocally Palestines right to statehood. It is now our responsibility, the responsibility of every member-state of the UN, to respect the Palestinian decision to request membership, and more importantly, to turn this into an opportunity that will jump-start anew direct negotiations, said Lambrinidis.Earlier in the day, Abbas handed the UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon a letter requesting a UN membership.Later the Palestine leader outlined his countrys case before the UNGA in a speech, which was met with a standing ovation from several delegations and polite silence from the US.