Israel keen on firming up ties with India

The three centres of excellence to be set up by Israel to boost agriculture in the State, are likely to take shape by next year.

The centres, proposed to be set up in Kolar, Bagalkot and Belgaum will focus on cultivation of pomegranate, mango and vegetables. According to officials in the Consulate General of Israel in Bangalore, the State government has accepted the proposal and allotted land for the centres.

Addressing the media here on Tuesday, Eli Belotsercovsky, Director, Economic Relations with India and China in the Israel Ministry of  Foreign Affairs, Jerusalem, said the country is keen on strengthening relations with South India. “India is a very important partner to us, not just with respect to trade but in general. I believe Israel can contribute in sharing its resources when it comes to agriculture technology, water technology and medical technology.”

Israel already has established a centre for excellence in agriculture in Haryana. The country is also eager to join hands in water conservation measures. It is currently involved in a project in cleaning the Yamuna. Israel is also in the process of negotiating free trade agreement with India. The negotiations started about 18 months ago and the
process would take a while. Diplomatic relations of Israel with India started only in 1992.

“We are looking forward for more companies to set up their units in India. There is not a single company in Israel today that is not looking at India or China to further its trade,” he said.

Many Israeli students are seeking admissions in Indian universities. Every year more than 40,000 Israel nationals come to India, according to the officials at the Consulate. Students are thronging Indian universities for courses in Telugu, Malayalam and Hindi languages. To increase the ties on the education front, this year, Israel has proposed more than 60 post-doctoral scholarships for Indian students.

Consul General  Menahem Kanafi and Ziv Shalvi, Deputy Chief of Mission, Consulate General of Israel, Bangalore, were present.