Israeli foreign minister travels to India, seeks assistance in 'expanding the circle of normalization'
India is important player in the Middle East with good diplomatic relations with most nations in region
Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen arrived in India on Tuesday in an effort to strengthen the bilateral strategic ties between Israel and India.
Cohen is scheduled to meet for talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Due to Israel’s military operation in Gaza, Cohen was expected to return to Israel the same day.
"This important political visit to India aims to deepen Israel’s strategic partnership with one of the world's greatest powers,” Cohen said ahead of his trip.
Israel’s foreign minister said the agenda includes “tightening of the partnership on security issues and the possibilities of expanding the circle of normalization in the space between India and Israel.”
Productive and wide-ranging discussions with Foreign Minister @elicoh1 of Israel this afternoon.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) May 9, 2023
The main pillars of our Strategic Partnership - Agriculture, Water, Defence & Security - are taking our ties forward. New agreements in water & agriculture today underline the… pic.twitter.com/CPAdcBuYEw
The Jewish state and India have close military, diplomatic and intelligence ties, with India emerging as a top export market for the Israeli military sector.
In addition, Jerusalem views India as a key partner in expanding the circle of peace in the Middle East region, where India enjoys good diplomatic relations with most nations.
“India can play a significant role in expanding the circle of peace and promoting the Abraham Accords that will lead to prosperity and strengthening regional stability,” said Cohen.
In July 2022, the U.S. hosted a virtual summit with the leaders of India, Israel and the United Arab Emirates amid President Joe Biden’s visit to the Middle East region. Washington views India as a positive counterweight to China.
“I am coming to India with a large delegation of Israeli businessmen and companies with the aim of exploiting the enormous potential of trade relations between Israel and India and promoting the free trade agreement between the countries," added the Israeli top diplomat.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
