PM Modi receives red carpet welcome as he begins 2-day visit to Israel
Jerusalem (PTI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Israel on Wednesday to a red-carpet welcome with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu and wife Sara receiving the Indian leader at the Ben Gurion airport.
It is PM Modi's second visit to Israel in nine years. The India-Israel relationship was elevated to the level of strategic partnership during his first visit to that country in July 2017.
Netanyahu greeted the Indian prime minister with a warm hug, following which Modi was accorded a ceremonial welcome at the airport, located 20 kilometres southeast of Tel Aviv.
The Indian prime minister will address Israel's parliament later in the day and will have a tete-a-tete with Netanyahu. The two leaders will hold wide-ranging talks on Thursday.
In his pre-departure statement, Modi said he was confident that the visit will further consolidate the enduring bonds between India and Israel and set new goals for the strategic partnership.
"India and Israel share a robust and multifaceted strategic partnership that has witnessed remarkable growth and dynamism in recent years," Modi said.
"I look forward to my discussions with Prime Minister Netanyahu aimed at further strengthening our cooperation across various domains, including science and technology, innovation, agriculture, water management, defence and security, trade and investment, as well as people-to-people ties," he said.
Modi said he and Netanyahu will also exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
"I am confident that my State Visit will further consolidate the enduring bonds between the two countries, set new goals for the strategic partnership, and advance our shared vision for a resilient, innovative and prosperous future," Modi said.
The prime minister's visit assumed greater significance as it is taking place amid the ongoing tensions in the Middle East, including deteriorating ties between the US and Iran.
There has been an upswing in India-Israel ties in the last few years, including in the areas of defence, scientific research, cybersecurity and innovation.
The defence cooperation has emerged as an important pillar of the partnership between the two sides, with Israel supplying a plethora of military platforms and weapon systems to India.
In November last, during the visit of India's defence secretary to Israel, an important agreement on defence cooperation was signed.
As India is looking at developing an indigenous air defence shield called "Sudarshan Chakra", it is learnt that New Delhi would like to explore the possibility of incorporating certain elements from Israel's Iron Dome all-weather air defence system that can intercept and destroy missiles and artillery shells.
The trade and investment ties between the two sides are also witnessing steady progress.
During the visit to Israel of Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal in November, the term of reference (ToR) for the launch of Free Trade Agreement (FTA) negotiations between India and Israel was signed.
In September, the two sides had inked a Bilateral Investment Agreement (BIA) to expand economic cooperation.
The people-to-people ties between the two countries are also an important aspect of the overall relations, with over 41,000-strong Indian diaspora playing a key role in the two-way engagement.
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1,600 Indians travel to India on 5 Qatar Airways flights amid airspace curbs
Doha (PTI): Around 1,600 Indian nationals travelled to India on five Qatar Airways flights on Tuesday, even as the airline continues to operate limited services due to restrictions on Qatar's airspace, the Indian Embassy here said.
The flights included two services to Delhi and one each to Mumbai, Kochi and Thiruvananthapuram, the embassy said in a social media post.
"In total, about 1600 Indian nationals travelled on Qatar Airways flights today," it said.
The mission noted that Qatar's airspace remains largely closed and Qatar Airways is currently operating only limited, non-scheduled flights.
The airline has announced services to nine Indian destinations starting Wednesday, and passengers can make bookings through the Qatar Airways website, mobile application or authorised travel agents.
The embassy said it continues to facilitate temporary Saudi transit visas for stranded Indian nationals wishing to travel to India via Saudi Arabia by crossing the Salwa land border.
The mission will remain open on all days in the coming week to provide consular services, including issuance of passports, while its control room and helplines through phone, email and WhatsApp will continue to function on a 24/7 basis.
It urged the Indian community to follow instructions issued by Qatari authorities and exercise responsibility in sharing information to help maintain public safety and community stability.
The embassy and Indian community organisations have also collaborated to support members of the Indian fishermen community in Qatar by providing dry rations to those in need.
Tensions in West Asia continue to escalate following the US-Israel strikes on Iran since February 28.
