Indian External Affairs Minister to visit Israel, Palestine next week

The External Affairs Minister will also interact with the Indian community during her visit to the Jewish nation.

We have always had good relations with India for the last 25 years, but now there is much visibility and it is not just ceremonial, ” Mr Carmon said.

“India shares traditionally close relations with the State of Palestine and is contributing actively through capacity building and human resource development initiatives with Palestine”, the statement said. “The visibility is not only ceremonial”.

Until now, no action has been reported against the group’s two major seminaries in Bahawalpur which, many say, serve as the group’s headquarters.

Issues of mutual interest including ways to enhance cooperation in defence, counter-terrorism, agriculture and water sector will be discussed during the visit. Ms Swaraj will be briefed about the prevailing situation in the Middle and West Asia, Mr Carmon added.

“Defense cooperation has been the central pillar of our relationship”, Carmon said. The envoy also said Israel is reeling under a new form of terrorism, where Palestine youth stab Israeli nationals using knives. It has supplied various weapons systems, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles over the last few years but the transactions have largely remained behind the curtains.

Sensitiveness of this trip could be gauged that Israeli ambassador to India Daniel Carmon didn’t mince words, when asked about India’s growing relations with Tehran. It is something which is much much deeper. “He said Israeli defence manufacturing companies were interested in India’s ‘Make in India” campaign.

Indian President Pranab Mukherjee traveled to Israel in October last year and Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to go to Israel later this year.

Sushma communicated the Indian willingness in a meeting with visiting Syrian deputy Prime Minister and foreign minister Walid al Moualem at Hyderabad House here.

He identified police modernisation, training of personnel and sharing of technology as areas of cooperation in the sphere of homeland security.

However, the fate of the impending Foreign Secretary-level talks between India and Pakistan is clouded with a question mark, due to the recent terrorist attack at Pathankot air base which was carried out by six terrorists from across the border.

“Iran is a country that stirs instability in West Asia”. It is also engaged in state-sponsored terrorism, by helping Hamas and Hizbollah to target Israel.

“We should know each other better”, he said.