Cairo: Expressing satisfaction over the transition of power in Palestine after the death of President Yasser Arafat, India today (Nov 12, 2004) hoped that the roadmap to solve the West Asia crisis would be implemented leading to peace in the region.

"The transition has been very orderly and we hope that the quartet roadmap will be implemented so that peace and harmony can be ensured in the region," External Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh, who led a high-level delegation at the funeral of Arafat in Cairo, said.

He was asked whether he expected turmoil in Palestine with the exit of Arafat. "Inevitably," he said, "Arafat's demise has left a vacuum which we are confident that the collective leadership of Palestine would be able to fulfil."