JOIN US"There is a defence relationship with India. Not only there is defence relationship, Israel has been and is of assistance to India in its security needs. We are proud of being there," Israeli Ambassador to New Delhi, Mark Sofer, told a group of Indian journalists here.
However, Sofer refused to divulge further details about India-Israel defence ties, at a luncheon hosted by the US-based 'The Israel Project', which has now started its India programmes.
"I am not going to say anything on the figures and the projects that are on the table," the Israeli Ambassador said.
Sofer identified India and Israel as the two countries who viewed the world with very similar eyes.
"We often feel that some of the problems that we are facing are mutual to us both. This was felt by both of us in Mumbai atrocities of 2008," he said referring to the terrorist attacks by the Pakistan-based LeT.
"Also our society is free and democratic and perhaps (it is) an island in non-democratic oceans," he said, adding that Israel has one of its most dynamic relationships with India.
Sofer cited experts to say that the Indo-Israel trade will triple within four years once a bilateral free trade agreement is signed.
"That would bring us to trading about USD 15 billion; which will be of the same size of that with the European Union," he said.