India, Palestine sign six agreements as PM Narendra Modi tours West Asia

Ramallah: In keeping with India's role as a major development aid partner for Palestine, the two sides on Saturday signed six memorandums of understanding (MoUs), including in the areas of health and education, following a bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas here.

A MoU was signed for setting up of an India-Palestine super-speciality hospital at Beit Sahour in Bethlehem governorate at a cost of $30 million.

A second MoU was signed for construction of the India-Palestine centre for empowering women called "Turathi" at a cost of $5 million.

Another MoU was signed for setting up of a new National Printing Press at Ramallah at a cost of $5 million.

Two MoUs worth $1.1 million and $1 million envisage construction of two schools at Tamoon village in Tubas governorate and Muthalth Al Shuhada village respectively.

A sixth MoU was signed for the construction of an additional floor at Jawahar Lal Nehru School for Boys at Abu Dees.

Prime Minister Modi arrived earlier in the day on a three-hour visit, the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister to Palestine.

Palestine is the first leg of Modi's three-nation tour of West Asia and the Gulf that will also see him going to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Oman.