New Delhi, February 24 Prime Minister Narendra Modi will undertake a two-day visit to Israel, starting Wednesday, to strengthen bilateral defence and trade cooperation amid ongoing tensions in the Middle East, including deteriorating ties between the US and Iran.
Modi's engagements will include his address to Israel's parliament, extensive talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, and a meeting with President Isaac Herzog.
It is learnt that boosting overall defence and security cooperation between the two sides will be a major focus of discussions at the delegation level, involving the two prime ministers on Thursday.
Netanyahu is scheduled to host a private dinner for Modi on Wednesday evening.
This will be Modi's second visit to Israel in nine years. The India-Israel relationship was elevated to the level of strategic partnership during Modi's first visit to the country in July 2017.
Netanyahu had made a return visit to India in January 2018. India and Israel share a robust strategic partnership with strong cooperation in areas such as science and technology, innovation, defence and security, trade and investment, agriculture, water, and people-to-people relations.
During their talks, the two prime ministers are also likely to discuss the prevailing situation in the Middle East, including in Gaza.
Following the outbreak of the Israel-Iran conflict in June last, Modi and Netanyahu spoke twice on the phone.
On October 9, Modi called Netanyahu and congratulated him on the progress made under President Donald Trump's Gaza peace plan.
There has been a significant improvement in India-Israel ties in recent years, particularly in areas such as defence, scientific research, cybersecurity, and innovation.
Defence cooperation has emerged as a key pillar of the partnership between the two sides, with Israel supplying a wide range of military platforms and weapon systems to India.
Last November, during the visit of India's defence secretary to Israel, an important agreement on defence cooperation was signed.
As India is looking to develop an indigenous air defence shield called "Sudarshan Chakra," it is learnt that New Delhi would like to explore the possibility of incorporating certain elements from Israel's Iron Dome all-weather air defence system, which can intercept and destroy missiles and artillery shells.
The trade and investment ties between the two sides are also witnessing steady progress.
During the visit to Israel of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in November, the terms of reference (ToR) for the launch of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and Israel were signed.
In September, the two sides inked a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) to expand economic cooperation.
People-to-people ties between the two countries are also an important aspect of the overall relations, with over 41,000-strong Indian diaspora playing a key role in the two-way engagement.
In November 2023, India and Israel signed a bilateral framework agreement to facilitate the temporary and legal employment of Indian workers in Israel.
Since then, 20,000 Indians have arrived in Israel, both under the Government-to-Government route and through private channels, according to officials.