Ajit Karn
Today, Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen arrived in India for a three-day visit to engage in bilateral discussions with Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar. The Israeli minister will also attend the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) India-Israel Business Forum on May 9 in New Delhi, which is being organized by the Israel Export and International Cooperation Institute, according to a statement from the CII.
Following his meeting with Jaishankar and participation in the CII India-Israel Business Forum, Cohen will depart for Agra in the evening to attend a program on May 10, according to a Ministry of External Affairs media advisory. On May 10, following his obligations in Agra, he will return to Delhi. On 11 May, he will travel to Mumbai to attend a program. A media advisory reveals that he will return to Israel on May 11.
In April of this year, Israeli Economy Minister Nir Barkat led a large business delegation on a four-day official visit to India to strengthen bilateral ties in areas of mutual interest, including automotive technologies and fintech. Late in the month of March, the Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and a parliamentary delegation paid an official visit to India.
Earlier this month, Israeli Ambassador to India Naor Gilon praised the countries’ ties and expressed his eagerness to host the Foreign Minister in the near future. “Currently, we are privileged to have a number of high-level Israeli visits to India. Late in March, we had a visit from the Knesset speaker of the Israeli parliament. “Mid-April marked the first-ever visit of the Minister of Economy, and we expect to host the Minister of Foreign Affairs and, hopefully, our Prime Minister later in the year,” said the envoy. “It is common for these visitors to return impressed by the strong sympathy and friendship between India and Israel, as well as an appreciation for India’s growing significance to Israel and the world,” he added.
Regarding India-Israel relations, the envoy added that the cooperation between the two nations is founded on profound trust, as evidenced by their cooperation in the most sensitive sectors. “I have never before encountered such profound appreciation, affection, and friendship for Israel as I do in India.” A comparable sentiment exists in the hearts of many Israelis towards India. Deep trust underpins India and Israel’s relationship of cooperation. This is evident by the many areas of cooperation, including the most sensitive, as the Israeli envoy stated.
Naor Gilon told ANI that Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, is anticipated to visit India by the end of the year. During his April visit, Nir Barkat expressed his enthusiasm for the possibility of collaboration between the Israeli and Indian economies. In response to ANI’s query about his India visit, Barkat stated, “The opportunity for collaboration between the Israeli and Indian economies inspires me. But before that, I’d like to acknowledge the people’s friendship.”
He added, “Israelis love Native Americans, and, praise God, Native Americans love Israelis.” While Jews faced difficulties all over the globe, we always felt safe and secure living and conducting business in India due to our two thousand years of rich history. And I believe this to be crucial when considering the future.” Barkat stated that both the administrations of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu are ‘friendly’ in relation to India and Israel. He stated that India and Israel should prioritize business expansion. Additionally, he attended the India-Israel Business Forum, where he stated that Indians are ‘good allies’ of Israel.
“Both the Modi and Netanyahu administrations are amicable. Both of us are aware of how to advance our economy to the next level. Therefore, I am motivated by the opportunity. Nir Barkat stated to ANI, “Naturally, I believe we should now focus on business growth and examine how our technology can be utilized; we’re a small country with less than 10 million people, but we have good ideas.” Late in March, Israeli Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana and a parliamentary delegation traveled to India to execute the first cooperation and information exchange agreement between the Israeli and Indian parliaments. Ohana met with Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar at the Parliament House during his visit.
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In New Delhi, the Knesset, Amir Ohana, and the parliamentary delegation met with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to discuss bilateral relations between the two nations. The parties discussed strengthening India-Israel ties and advancing I2U2 cooperation. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, in 2022, India and Israel commemorated 30 years since the establishment of full diplomatic relations. India and Israel have established mechanisms for bilateral consultation in all areas of collaboration, including water, agriculture, counterterrorism, and defense.
