External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will visit Israel and Palestine on January 17-18 to strengthen India’s engagement with the two countries and to pave the way for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit later this year.
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“The visit is an important ingredient in the ever-growing relations, friendship and partnership between the two countries”, said the embassy statement. She is expected to return the same day to continue discussions with Israeli leaders. Terming the successful test of Barak 8 missile system a “fruit” of cooperation and joint research and development, Mr Carmon said Israel is all set to extend its defence cooperation to India.
He said that India’s “Make in India” campaign had aroused interest of various Israeli defense manufacturing companies.
“We can transfer our technology as well”. In a statement, the government said India and Israel shared a close and multifaceted relationship.
Numerous region’s countries, which publicly swear by the Palestinian cause, had indicated unhappiness when India abstained from a United Nations vote critical of Israel in July. As for cooperation in counter-terrorism activities, he said: “We should do more and go beyond the established fields”.
This will be Swaraj’s first visit to the region.
India, which believes that Palestine is at the core of the Arab-Israeli conflict, has consistently backed the legitimate right of the Palestinian people to a State and the consequent imperative need for a just, comprehensive and lasting peace in the region on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 242, 338 and 425, as well as the principle of “Land for Peace”.
Officials said Azhar, the dreaded terrorist and two other terrorists who were released from an Indian prison in 1999 in exchange for release of 155 passengers of the hijacked Indian Airlines plane, has been taken into protective custody after raids on several JeM offices.
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According to the ambassador, Israel has faced the challenge of water scarcity. Last week, however, Jordan communicated that the country’s king would be travelling to the US. In Tel Aviv, Swaraj will have meetings with President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as Minister of Defence Moshe Ya’alon, Minister of National Infrastructure Yuval Steinitz and Israeli legislators.
