On the second day of his visit to the United States, on the sidelines of the 79th United Nations General Assembly in New York, Prime Minister Narendra Modi held back-to-back bilateral engagements with the Prime Minister of Nepal, Crown Prince of Kuwait and the Palestinian President.
In PM Modi’s meeting with the Prime Minister of Nepal, Mr K P Sharma Oli, the two leaders reviewed the unique and close bilateral relationship between India and Nepal and expressed satisfaction at the progress made in diverse sectors including development partnership, hydropower cooperation, people-to-people ties, and enhancing connectivity – physical, digital and in the domain of energy. The Indian Prime Minister congratulated Nepal on becoming the 101st country to join the International Solar Alliance (ISA) as a full member and underlined the importance of a regional response to the challenge of climate change. Nepal is a priority partner of India under its Neighbourhood First Policy. This meeting continued the tradition of regular high-level exchanges between India and Nepal in furtherance of India’s Neighbourhood First policy.
Prime Minister Modi also met with Sheikh Sabah Khaled Al-Hamad Al-Sabah, Crown Prince of Kuwait. This was the first meeting between the Prime Minister and the Crown Prince of Kuwait. PM Modi conveyed that India attaches utmost importance to its bilateral relations with Kuwait. Both leaders recalled the strong historical ties and people-to-people linkages between the two countries. They noted with satisfaction that the two countries were supporting each other with energy and food security requirements. The Prime Minister thanked the Crown Prince for ensuring the well-being of the Indian community in Kuwait, which is the largest diaspora group in the country.
In his bilateral engagement with the President of Palestine, Mahmoud Abbas, PM Modi expressed deep concern at the humanitarian crisis unfolding in Gaza and the deteriorating security situation in the region and reaffirmed India’s unwavering support to the people of Palestine, including continued humanitarian assistance. Prime Minister reiterated India’s time-tested principled position on the Israel-Palestine issue, and called for a ceasefire, release of hostages and return to the path of dialogue and diplomacy. He stressed that only a two-state solution will deliver enduring peace and stability in the region. Recalling that India was one of the first countries to recognize Palestine, he conveyed India’s continued support for Palestine’s membership of the UN.
