India to back Palestine's bid for UN membership

NEW DELHI - India Tuesday said it would back Palestine's bid for equal and full membership of the United Nations.

"India had played an active role in supporting the efforts of the state of Palestine to secure full membership status at UNESCO. We will continue to support Palestine's bid for full and equal membership of the United Nations," Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said in a statement.

The Prime Minister issued the statement after a meeting with visiting Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in the national capital.

Singh pledged 10 million U.S. dollars to Palestine to help meet the Middle East nation's budgetary needs and said that New Delhi would continue to help the country in development and nation building.

Abbas also met Indian President Pranab Mukherjee and inspected a guard of honour at the latter's official residence at Rashtrapati Bhawan.