India And Israel Stand United Against Terror Relations Elevated To Special Strategic Partnership

India and Israel announced to upgrade their bilateral relations to a Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s state visit to Israel from February 25 to 26. This announcement was made in a joint statement issued after high-level talks between Prime Minister Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.

The visit took place at the invitation of Prime Minister Netanyahu and is considered an important milestone in the deepening relations between the two countries.

common resolve against terrorism

In a joint statement, the two leaders strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and said that terrorism has no place in the world and it cannot be tolerated in any form. Both sides stressed on strengthening global cooperation and coordinated action against terrorist networks.

Under the upgradation of the partnership, multidimensional cooperation in areas such as defence, technology, innovation, trade, agriculture and space was agreed upon. It was decided to pursue joint development, production and technology transfer in the defense sector. Emphasis was also laid on increasing cooperation in “horizon scanning” to strengthen strategic capabilities.

Several Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) were exchanged during the visit. These include mineral exploration, space cooperation, and startup collaboration through advanced geophysical and artificial intelligence technologies. It was agreed to further strengthen cooperation between Israel Space Agency (ISA) and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) in the space sector. Also, there was discussion on providing opportunities to Israeli space-based startups to connect with their Indian counterparts.

Progress towards a free trade agreement

The two leaders welcomed the ongoing efforts towards a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and announced the convening of a Government-to-Government (G2G) meeting in India to accelerate economic and technological ties.

Regional issues also discussed

On the situation in West Asia, Prime Minister Modi reiterated that humanity should not become a victim of conflict. He described the Gaza Peace Plan as a potential path towards peace and assured continued consultation and cooperation with partner countries to promote regional stability.

During the visit, Prime Minister Modi addressed the Israeli parliament, the Knesset, a first by an Indian Prime Minister. He also met President Isaac Herzog and interacted with the Indian community in Israel.

Prime Minister Modi expressed his gratitude for the hospitality extended by Netanyahu and the people of Israel. At the same time, Netanyahu said that the future belongs to those who innovate, Israel and India are adamant on innovation. With this historic visit, India-Israel relations have attained a new strategic height, which can have a wide-ranging impact in the areas of defence, technology and global cooperation in the times to come.

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