UPDATES WITH MEETING BETWEEN ISRAELI PRESIDENT, INDIAN PREMIER; EDITS THROUGH
By Ahmad Adil
NEW DELHI (AA) - India and Israel on Thursday elevated bilateral ties and decided to establish a partnership in critical and emerging technologies.
This was announced during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's two-day visit to Israel, where he held talks with his counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu.
In his remarks to reporters, Modi said the two nations have taken the “historic” decision to elevate ties to the status of a “special strategic partnership" and that the two sides will soon give "final shape to the mutually beneficial" free trade deal (FTA).
The two sides have held the first round of negotiations on the FTA and signed a bilateral investment pact last September.
He said India and Israel also decided to partner in critical and emerging technologies.
“This will give new momentum to cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum, and critical minerals,” he said.
During the high-level talks, the two sides signed 16 pacts, including in mineral exploration, as well as intent to establish joint cyber center of excellence in India to “showcase cybersecurity best practices, emerging technologies, and digital resilience, fostering collaboration among government, industry, and academia.”
"We will further our work in civil nuclear energy and space fields. Together, we will develop future-ready farming solutions. We will work on creating villages of excellence," said the Indian prime minister.
Modi said New Delhi and Tel Aviv will also pursue joint development, production, and transfer of technology in the defense sector.
About Gaza, he said: "Humanity must never become a victim of conflict."
"A path to peace has been created through the Gaza peace plan," he said, adding: “India has fully supported these efforts. In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries."
- Meeting with Israeli president
Separately, Modi met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog, and they “discussed diverse aspects of the India-Israel friendship.”
“There is immense scope in futuristic areas such as technology, innovation, startups, and more,” said Modi through US social media company X, after meeting Herzog.
With Modi's latest trip, India-Israel ties have been upgraded to "special strategic partners."
In 2022, the two countries marked 30 years with the elevation of ties to full diplomatic relations, and the bilateral trade volume between the two countries stood at $3.62 billion in 2024.