Jerusalem, February 25 Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on Wednesday to a red-carpet welcome, with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and his wife Sara receiving the Indian leader at Ben Gurion Airport.
This is Prime Minister Modi's second visit to Israel in nine years. The India-Israel relationship was elevated to the level of strategic partnership during his first visit to the country in July 2017.
Netanyahu greeted the Indian prime minister with a warm hug, after which Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport, located 20 kilometers southeast of Tel Aviv.
The Indian prime minister will address the Israeli parliament later in the day and will have a one-on-one meeting with Netanyahu. The two leaders will hold extensive discussions on Thursday.
In his pre-departure statement, Modi said he was confident that the visit would further strengthen the enduring bonds between India and Israel and set new goals for the strategic partnership.
"India and Israel share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership that has witnessed remarkable growth and dynamism in recent years," Modi said.
"I look forward to my discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu, aimed at further strengthening our cooperation across various domains, including science and technology, innovation, agriculture, water management, defense and security, trade and investment, as well as people-to-people ties," he said.
Modi also said that he and Netanyahu would exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
"I am confident that my State Visit will further consolidate the enduring bonds between the two countries, set new goals for the strategic partnership, and advance our shared vision for a resilient, innovative and prosperous future," Modi said.
The prime minister's visit assumed greater significance as it is taking place amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, including deteriorating ties between the US and Iran.
There has been a significant increase in India-Israel ties in the last few years, including in the areas of defense, scientific research, cybersecurity, and innovation.
Defence cooperation has emerged as an important pillar of the partnership between the two sides, with Israel supplying a wide range of military platforms and weapon systems to India.
In November last, during the visit of India's defence secretary to Israel, an important agreement on defence cooperation was signed.
As India is looking at developing 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 that 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 had inked a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) to expand economic cooperation.
The 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.
