Tuesday, November 22, 2011

IBSA gifted Multipurpose Sports Center to the Palestinian Authority

The IBSA (India-Brazil-South Africa) gifted a sports centre to the Palestinian Authority in November 2011. Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed, Ambassador Paulo Cordeiro de Andrade Pinto of Brazil and South Africa's Deputy Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Marius Fransman attended the inauguration ceremony in Ramallah, Palestine for the occasion.

India-Brazil-South Africa (IBSA) Multipurpose Sports Center was constructed in Ramallah with the funding of IBSA Forum. It is the first IBSA project in the entire Middle East. The sports centre is the first project completed through IBSA funding and two more IBSA-funded projects are in progress -rehabilitation of the Al-Quds Hospital in Gaza and construction of a Centre for People with Special Needs in Nablus.

India, along with Brazil and South Africa, consistently supported Palestine's cause. In 1975, India was the first non-Arab state to recognise the Palestine Liberation Organisation and five years later gave full diplomatic recognition to its office in New Delhi. In 1988, India recognised the state of Palestine. India has been steadfast in its support for the Palestinian people's struggle for a United State of Palestine with East Jerusalem as the capital, as per the relevant U.N. resolutions, the Arab Peace Initiative and Quartet road map.

Ahamed who reached Palestine on 18 November 2011 handed over a cheque of $1 million as India's annual contribution for 2011-12 to be utilised for food for 50 school days to 76,000 students attending U.N.-funded schools in Gaza.

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