Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that he looks forward to his upcoming talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu before leaving for a two-day official visit to Israel, the Indian news agency PTI reported, BTA reports.
In a statement before his departure, Modi stressed that the talks will be aimed at expanding cooperation in key areas such as science and technology, innovation, agriculture, water resources management, defense and security, as well as trade and investment. He also emphasized the importance of ties between the people of the two countries.
The Indian Prime Minister indicated that he and Netanyahu will also discuss a number of regional and global topics of mutual interest. A meeting with Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog is also scheduled as part of the visit.
Modi also noted that he will become the first Indian Prime Minister to address the Israeli parliament, the Knesset. According to him, this will be a symbolic gesture towards the strong parliamentary and democratic ties between the two countries.
He defined the relations between India and Israel as a stable and multifaceted strategic partnership, which has developed dynamically over the years. The visit is taking place at the invitation of Netanyahu, whom Modi called his “dear friend“.