PM Modi begins Israel visit today: Defence, security & trade ties on agenda

In Jerusalem, Modi is scheduled to interact with members of the Indian community before addressing lawmakers at the Knesset (Israeli parliament)

• PM Modi begins two-day state visit to Israel on Wednesday
• Talks to address defence, trade, innovation, and other areas
• Modi to address Israeli lawmakers and meet President Herzog

Did our AI summary help?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to begin his two-day state visit to Israel on Wednesday, where he will meet his Israel counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu in a bid to strengthen cooperation in several areas – from defence and security to trade and economy as well as innovation.

This will be PM Modi’s second visit to Israel in nine years. During his first visit in July 2017, the India-Israel relationship was elevated to the level of “strategic partnership”.

“During the visit, the PM will meet the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu. The two leaders will review the significant progress made in India-Israel Strategic Partnership, and discuss further opportunities in various areas of cooperation, including science and technology, innovation, defence and security, agriculture, water management, trade and economy, and people to people exchanges,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement ahead of PM Modi’s Wednesday visit.

“The leaders are also expected to exchange perspectives on regional and global issues of mutual interest,” it said.

PM Modi’s Israel visit: What’s on agenda?

PM Modi will be welcomed at the airport by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife, Sara, where the two leaders will hold a brief one-on-one meeting following the reception. He will then proceed to Jerusalem.

In Jerusalem, Modi is scheduled to interact with members of the Indian community before addressing lawmakers at the Knesset (Israeli parliament) -- a rare honour reserved for select global leaders.

On Wednesday evening, he will attend a technology exhibition highlighting Israel’s innovations, with leading Israeli industry executives in attendance. Later that night, Netanyahu will host a private dinner in his honour.

On Thursday morning, Modi will visit Yad Vashem to pay tribute to Holocaust victims before meeting Israeli President Isaac Herzog. Several agreements are expected to be signed during the visit, including a widely anticipated MoU on defence cooperation. “As part of the agreement, a secrecy mechanism will be established that will open several new categories so far unavailable,” sources told PTI.

A major focus of the delegation-level discussions on Thursday will be defence ties, including talks on India’s homegrown Sudarshan Chakra air defence shield and potential cooperation with Israel’s Iron Dome system.

India-Israel FTA talks 

The visit comes at a time when the negotiations for the India-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA) has begun, adding an important dimension to the diplomatic engagement.

The first round of negotiations for the India-Israel FTA commenced in New Delhi on Monday and is scheduled to take place until February 26.

During this round, technical experts from both sides will engage in sessions covering various aspects of FTA such as trade in goods, trade in services, rules of origin, sanitary and phytosanitary measures, technical barriers to trade, customs procedure and trade facilitation, intellectual property rights, among others, commerce and industry ministry said in a release.