In a bid to further strengthen ties between the two countries, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will visit Israel and meet with his counterpart there on the full range of relations. The three-day tour begins October 19.
The two countries have strong strategic and defense ties and Jaishankar and his Israeli counterpart Yair Lapid will focus on strengthening the strategic partnership. This will be Jaishankar’s first visit to the country as Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Saturday that Jaishankar would pay an official visit to Israel at the invitation of Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Lapid.
He will hold a bilateral meeting with Lapid and will also address President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy during his visit.
India and Israel elevated their bilateral relations to the rank of strategic partnership during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Israel in July 2017.
Since then, the relationship between the two countries has focused on expanding the knowledge-based partnership, which includes collaboration in innovation and research, including strengthening the “Make in India†initiative, the ministry said.
During his visit, Jaishankar will interact with the Jewish community of Indian descent in Israel, indologists, Indian students who are currently studying at Israeli universities and businessmen, including high-tech industries, according to the press release.
The visit will also be an opportunity to pay tribute to the valiant Indian soldiers who lost their lives in the region, especially during the First World War, he said. The visit aims to cement diplomatic and political relations between the two countries in the post-Benjamin Netanyahu era.
Israel has become a major defense partner of India since the establishment of diplomatic relations in the early 1990s. Over the years, Israel has supplied the technology for the Indian missile program, sophisticated rifles, the radar system. airborne early warning Phalcon (AWACS), drones, sensors and other related equipment. The two countries also share close ties in the fight against terrorism through
intelligence sharing and counterterrorism operations. Jaishankar will travel to Dubai first on Sunday and then leave for Israel.
In the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the foreign minister is expected to meet with leaders on issues such as the situation in Afghanistan. Incidentally, the United Arab Emirates established diplomatic relations with Israel under the Abrahamic Accord signed on August 13, 2020.
