PM Modi receives red carpet welcome from Netanyahu as he begins 2-day visit to Israel
Netanyahu greeted him with a warm embrace, and Modi was then given a ceremonial welcome at the airport, located 20 kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv.
This marks Prime Minister Modi’s second visit to Israel in nine years. The countries had elevated the India-Israel relationship to the level of strategic partnership during Modi’s first visit in July 2017.
Prime Minister Modi will give a speech at the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, later in the day and will have a one-on-one meeting with Netanyahu. The two leaders will hold wide-ranging bilateral talks on Thursday.
Prime Minister Modi’s separation statement before his visit to Israel
In his pre-departure statement, the prime minister said he was confident that this visit would further strengthen the enduring ties between India and Israel and set new goals for the strategic partnership.
“India and Israel share a solid and versatile strategic partnership that has witnessed remarkable growth and dynamism in recent years,” Modi said. he said.
“I look forward to my talks with Prime Minister Netanyahu, which aim to further strengthen our cooperation in various fields, including science and technology, innovation, agriculture, water management, defense and security, trade and investment, as well as people-to-people ties.” he added. Modi said he would also exchange views with Netanyahu on regional and global issues of common interest.
“I am confident that my State Visit will further strengthen the enduring ties between our two countries, set new goals for strategic partnership and advance our common vision of a resilient, innovative and prosperous future,” Modi said. he said.
Modi’s visit to Israel is of great significance as it comes amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, including deteriorating relations between the US and Iran.
India-Israel ties have experienced a boom in the last few years, including in the areas of defence, scientific research, cyber security and innovation.
Defense cooperation between the two countries has emerged as an important pillar of the partnership, with Israel providing India with a large number of military platforms and weapon systems.
