Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi to discuss the improvement of India-Israel strategic cooperation. The Abraham Accords enlargement and the advocacy of a free trade agreement were among the subjects covered. Cohen praised India as a global force, the worlds fifth-largest economy, and the worlds most populated country. He emphasised the significance of deepening bilateral ties, expanding the Abraham Accords, and negotiating a free trade agreement to help Israels economy. Cohen also thanked PM Modi for his support for Israel and the Jewish population in India, and both leaders promised to further their already strong ties.Cohens trip to India had originally been planned to last three days but was cut short owing to Israels security situation, particularly Operation Shield and Arrow. Cohen spoke with various Indian officials before meeting with PM Modi, including S Jaishankar, Rajnath Singh, Ajit Doval and Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Cohen also headed an economic delegation of Israeli businesspeople, especially from water management and agriculture, with the goal of strengthening commercial links between the two countries. Several substantial efforts have been made to strengthen collaboration and prepare the way for a free trade agreement that will benefit the economies of both countries.שמחתי להיפגש היום עם ראש ממשלת הודו @narendramodi, ידיד אמת של ישראל🇮🇳🇮🇱הודו היא מעצמה עולמית, הכלכלה החמישית בגודלה והמדינה המאוכלסת ביותר בעולם. שוחחתי עם מודי על חיזוק היחסים האסטרטגיים בין המדינות, הרחבת הסכמי אברהם, וקידום הסכם סחר חופשי שיזניק את כלכלת ישראל. pic.twitter.com/NoB9b10q9y— אלי כהן | Eli Cohen (@elicoh1) May 9, 2023Other major outcomes of the meetingVarious topics of cooperation were covered during the stay, including security, economic growth, technology, innovation, connectivity, and healthcare. Foreign Minister Cohen launched the CII India-Israel Business Forum, which resulted in the signing of three Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) that mark a new phase of partnership and collaboration between the Israeli and Indian business communities. In addition, the two nations negotiated a framework agreement to promote the temporary employment of Indian employees in specific labour market sectors in Israel, with a focus on carers and construction workers. A letter of intent was also inked to create two Water Technology Centres in India.The Israeli Embassy in India also launched the World on Wheels programme during the visit. This initiative intends to promote educational development by providing digital literacy, personality development, and business training in rural India. In collaboration with local organisations in India, the embassy has been involved in a number of educational projects.
