PM Modi, PM Benjamin Netanyahu hold talks to solidify India-Israel strategic ties

Jerusalem: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday held wide-ranging talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, focusing on boosting bilateral ties in areas of defence and security, trade, technology and agriculture.

The two sides are also expected to deliberate on the prevailing situation in the Middle East.

India and Israel are also likely to discuss the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).

Ahead of his talks with Netanyahu, PM Modi met Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Both leaders explored avenues to further enhance cooperation in education, start-ups, innovation, technology and connectivity, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said on the Modi-Herzog meeting.

PM Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit with an aim to impart a new momentum to the bilateral ties.

It is Modi's second visit to Israel in nine years. The India-Israel relationship was elevated to the level of strategic partnership during Modi's first visit to that country in July 2017.

India and Israel share a robust strategic partnership with strong cooperation across science and technology, innovation, defence and security, trade and investment, agriculture, water, and people-to-people relations.

There has been an upswing in India-Israel ties in the last few years, including in the areas of defence, scientific research, cybersecurity and innovation.

The defence cooperation has emerged as an important pillar of the partnership between the two sides, with Israel supplying a plethora of military platforms and weapon systems to India.

The trade and investment ties between the two sides are also witnessing steady progress.

During the visit to Israel of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in November, the term of reference (ToR) for the launch of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and Israel was signed.

In September, the two sides had inked a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) to expand economic cooperation.

The people-to-people ties between the two countries are also an important aspect of the overall relations, with over 41,000-strong Indian diaspora playing a key role in the two-way engagement.

In November 2023, India and Israel signed a bilateral framework agreement to facilitate the temporary and legal employment of Indian workers in Israel.

Since then, 20,000 Indians arrived in Israel, both under the Government-to-Government route and through private channels, according to officials.