Friday, March 17 2006 12:40 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jerusalem: In its first high-level interaction with the newly elected Hamas Government, India has expressed its continued support for the Palestinian cause.

India's representative to the Palestinian National Authority, Ohm Prakash, met Prime Minister-designate Ismail Haniyeh for the first time since the Hamas group emerged victorious in the January 2006 elections.

"India respects the will of the Palestinian people as reflected in the outcome of the recently concluded elections", an aide to Haniyeh, Ihab al-Ghusain, quoted Prakash as having told the Hamas PM-designate.

"The Indian representative was briefed in detail on the current political situation," al-Ghusain told sources.

The head of the Hamas parliamentary bloc in the parliament, Mahmoud Zahar, also participated in the meeting.

Zahar is tipped to become the next foreign minister in the Hamas-led Government.

Earlier, newly-elected Speaker of Palestinian Legislative Council(PLC), Aziz Dwaik, in a meeting with Prakash had stressed on strengthening parliamentary ties between the two countries.

"We want to learn from the Indian democratic experience in shaping our own democratic system as we proceed forward," an aide to Dwaik, Bassem Barhoum, quoted the Speaker as having told Prakash.