Without directly naming Pakistan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday called for strong measures against those who sponsor, encourage or finance terrorist networks or provide them sanctuaries as their two countries signed nine agreements, including those for cooperation in areas like cybersecurity and oil and gas.

The two leaders are understood to have talked at length on ways to strengthen cooperation between their two nations in strategic areas of defence and counter-terrorism but the details of their discussions have been kept under wraps.

Terrorism posed a grave threat to global peace and security and there could be no justification for acts of terror, the two leaders declared in a joint statement issued at the end of talks between them on the second day of the Israeli PM’s path-breaking visit to India.

Even as he described Modi as a ‘revolutionary leader’, Netanyahu recalled the ‘horrific savagery’ in Mumbai (26//11 terror attacks) in which a Jewish community centre also was targeted. He said India and Israel would never give in to terrorists and would fight back.

Asked why Pakistan had not been named by the two leaders in the context of terrorism in the joint statement, Vijay Gokhale, Secretary (Economic Relations) in the External Affairs Ministry, said it was not necessary to identify a particular nation in the joint statement. But the sense of what the two leaders had in mind was quite clear, he added.

The bonhomie between the two leaders was again in evidence at a joint press they addressed after their restricted and delegation-level talks, lasting about two hours. ‘’In defence, I have invited Israeli companies to take advantage of the liberalised FDI regime to make more in India with our companies,’’ Modi told the media without elaborating. Sources privy to the talks said the Israeli leader assured India of all possible assistance in meeting this country’s defence needs.

The Israelis are also said to be keen on the revival of talks between the two sides on the $ 500 million anti-tank missile deal which was recently cancelled by New Delhi.

The joint statement said the two PMs also discussed the development pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian peace process and reaffirmed their support for an early resumption of peace talks between the two sides for arriving at a comprehensive negotiated solution all issues, based on mutual recognition and effective arrangements for establishing a just and durable peace in the region. India’s vote at the UN against the US move to shift its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem also figured during the talks.

The two leaders agreed that renewed efforts were required to realise the full potential for bilateral trade and investment. PM Modi emphasised the necessity of an early conclusion of a bilateral investment protection treaty between the two countries. Both PMs urged the private sector to actively explore investment opportunities in the two countries, including through India’s flagship programmes, such as Make in India, Start-Up India and Digital India.

Modi and Netanyahu decided to expedite the conclusion of an agreement on maritime transport that would encourage greater business between the shipping organisations of the two countries and create new opportunities in maritime services and training.