New Delhi: Voicing concern over continuing cycle of violence in West Asia, India today (Oct 6, 2004) said the conflict was "political" in nature and cannot be resolved by force and cautioned Israel that confinement of Palestine President Yasser Arafat would encourage extremists on the Palestinian side.

"We believe that the conflict is essentially political in nature and cannot be resolved by force," External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh said in New Delhi.

"A just, comprehensive and durable peace in the region can only be achieved through negotiations on the basis of relevant UN Security Council resolutions as well as the Land for Peace principle leading to the two States, living side by side within secure and recognized borders," he said while addressing the Indian Association for Central and West Asian Studies at Jamia Milia Islamia.

Observing that India regarded Arafat as the elected leader of his people and a symbol of their legitimate cause, Singh said, "We have advised our Israeli friends about our belief that the isolation and confinement of President Arafat in his Ramallah headquarters would engender popular frustration and encourage extremists on the Palestinian side."

Referring to Iraq, he said the UN has a crucial role to play in the process of political and economic reconstruction of the war-ravaged country. "We see UN endorsement of the interim Government of Iraq as the first step towards the transparent transfer of full sovereignty to the people of Iraq."