Ramping up defence ties to be major focus of Prez Israel trip

Further deepening the already close defence ties will be a major focus of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin’s eight-day trip to India beginning Monday during which both sides are also set to ink a number of MoUs to expand cooperation in areas of energy, agriculture and trade.

Ahead of Rivlin’s visit here, first by an Israeli President in nearly two decades, the Jewish country’s envoy Daniel Carmon said the bilateral defence ties were beyond buyer-seller and military-to-military relationship and the message will be to broaden it further besides boosting cooperation in some other sectors.

During his stay, the Israeli President will hold extensive talks with his Indian counterpart Pranab Mukherjee and Prime Minister Narendra Modi covering key bilateral and regional issues besides attending a ceremony in Taj Hotel and Chabad House in Mumbai to pay tribute to victims of 26/11 attack in which six Jews were also killed.

On defence cooperation, Carmon said Israel has plans for fresh joint ventures and technology transfer in developing weapons systems and ensuring implementation of Modi’s Make in India initiative in the key sector which is a “major facet” of his country’s “special relationship” with India.

“It is a very deep relationship. India and Israel enjoy very unique relation in areas of defence.... There are plans for fresh joint venture and technology transfer,” he told reporters, refusing to go into specifics.