Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday announced that India and Israel have decided to elevate their time-tested ties to a special strategic partnership as the two nations signed as many as 27 accords in diverse areas and resolved to give final shape to a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement (FTA) soon.
Addressing a press conference with his Israel counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem after official talks between the two sides, Modi said India and Israel will move forward in joint development, joint production and transfer of technology in the area of defence under an MoU signed last year.
‘’Our relations have stood the test of time. Today, we have taken a historic decision to establish a special strategic partnership. This is a reflection of the aspirations of the people of both countries,’’ he said. The partnership is for peace, innovation and prosperity.
The Indian leader said the two countries are committed to enhancing regional connectivity. In this direction, the proposed India Middle East Economic Corridor (IMEEC) and the India-Israel-UAE-USA (I2U2) connectivity projects will be given a fillip.
He said he had also discussed regional and global issues with PM Netanyahu. India’s security, he said, is directly connected with peace and stability in West Asia. ‘’Therefore, from the beginning we have supported dialogue and peaceful resolution of issues. This is also the appeal of the Global South and humanity,’’ he added.
He said India’s position on the conflict in West Asia is very clear. ‘’Humanity must never become a victim of conflict,’’ he said, adding that the Gaza Peace Plan has opened a path to peace in the region.
On terrorism, the PM said both India and Israel share the view that there is no place for the menace in the world in any form. ‘’We will not tolerate terrorism…we will stand shoulder to shoulder against terrorism and those supporting it.’’
The PM noted that growth, innovation and shared prosperity have been the engine of the economic partnership between the two countries. Last year, the two countries signed a bilateral investment agreement and they will now give the final shape to FTA soon.
Technology, he said, is the focus of the future partnership between the two countries. ‘’Today we have decided to establish a critical and emerging technology partnership,’’ he said, adding this will help give speed to cooperation in areas like AI, Quantum and critical minerals.
He said he is happy over the pact between the two countries for the use of India’s UPI in Israel. The two countries are also committed to share experiences in the area of digital health to bring a change in the lives of the people. The two countries will also cooperate in areas like civil nuclear technology and space.
He said both India and Israel have also pledged to take their agriculture cooperation to a futuristic direction. He noted that the Centres of Excellence in India formed with the assistance of Israel are good examples of cooperation in this area. ‘’We have decided to take the number of these centres to 100.’’ The PM said India will set up Villages of Excellence and Israeli technology will reach there. This will help lakhs of Indian farmers in increasing their income and productivity.