The government of India yesterday become the first government to extend full diplomatic recognition to the Palestine Liberation Organization. According to reports, PLO chief Yasir Arafat is due in New Delhi tomorrow for a two-day visit at the invitation of Prime Minister Indira Ghandi.
Foreign Minister Narasimha Rao, in announcing the decision, which upgrades the PLO office in New Delhi to the status of on embassy, said no comprehensive settlement of the Middle East deadlock was possible without participation of the PLO” as an equal partner in peace talks. The Foreign Minister also said the visit by Arafat symbolized not only Indo-Palestinian friendship but also Indo-Arab solidarity. India, which extended formal recognition to Israel in 1950, has allowed the PLO to maintain an office in New Delhi since 1975.
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