Jerusalem, December 18: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today reaffirmed his government’s commitment to promote Indo-Israel cooperation in fighting terrorism in all its manifestations.
Netanyahu told the visiting BJP President, Nitin Gadkari that Israel shared India’s security concerns and was cooperating with New Delhi in this regard.
The Israeli Prime Minister spoke to Gadkari over phone and thanked him for visiting Israel at the invitation of his government.
Gadkari appreciated the warm welcome extended to him and his party delegation by the Israeli government and reiterated the BJP’s strong commitment to friendly relations with Israel.
The BJP President apprised Netanyahu of the research and development projects he had visited in the fields of homeland security, agro-tech industries, including fisheries, irrigation, water management etc.
Gadkari assured the Israeli Prime Minister that he would explore the opportunities for collaborative research and development and training in these areas in respective institutions of the two countries, particularly in the NDA ruled states.
The BJP President on a six-day goodwill visit is accompanied by a party delegation including former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and party general secretary in charge of organisation Ramlal.
Gadkari also met the governor of Israeli Central Bank Stanley Fischer and explored the trade potential between the two countries in untapped areas.
Diamonds constituted about 41.9 per cent of the bilateral trade in the year 2009. Other major export items from India to Israel during the year 2009 were diamonds, plants and vegetable products, textiles and textile articles, base metals and machinery.
Major items exported by Israel to India were mineral products, diamonds, base metals, machinery, transport equipment and telecom and software products and services.
According to figures available from the department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, government of India, FDI inflows from Israel to India from April 2000 to April 2010 totaled USD 51.87 million.
Many Israeli companies also invest in India through the US and Europe.
–PTI