India and Israel on Thursday elevated their “time-tested” relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to work towards finalizing a “mutually beneficial” free trade agreement during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s second state visit to the country.
Prime Minister Modi, who is on a two-day visit to the country, expressed his strong support for the Gaza peace initiative, saying humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
After delegation-level talks between Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, the two countries signed a wide-ranging set of agreements to enhance cooperation in the areas of trade, agriculture, energy, cyberspace and digital payments.
The Prime Minister announced the launch of an India-Israel partnership on critical and emerging technologies to accelerate cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and biominerals.
“I am pleased that an agreement has been reached to use UPI in Israel,” Modi said during a joint press meeting with his Israeli counterpart.
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Results of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Israel
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to expanding defense cooperation, with plans to promote joint development and production of military equipment within the framework of technology transfer.
In his media statement, Prime Minister Modi stressed that India’s security interests are closely linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, and reiterated New Delhi’s support for the Gaza peace initiative.
“India’s position is clear: humanity should never become a victim of conflict. A path to peace has been created through the Gaza peace plan. India has fully supported these efforts,” he said, adding: “In the future as well, we will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries.”
Modi, who arrived in Israel on Wednesday for a two-day visit – his second trip to the country in nine years – said India and Israel share a firm stance against terrorism.
“Our relationship is built on a strong foundation of deep trust, shared democratic values and human sensibilities. Our bond has withstood the test of every trial over time,” he said.
He added: “Today, we have taken the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to the level of a ‘Special Strategic Partnership’.
Highlighting the common challenge of terrorism, Modi stressed that the two countries will remain united in confronting the threat.
“India and Israel are absolutely clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world. Terrorism cannot be accepted in any form or expression,” he said.
He added: “We have stood side by side in confronting terrorism and its supporters, and we will continue to do so.”
The two leaders also discussed the progress of the Indo-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the I2U2 framework involving India, Israel, the UAE and the US.
