Israeli foreign minister cuts short India visit as trouble brews back home
NEW DELHI: Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who had reached India on Tuesday morning for a three-day visit, had to cut short his trip and return home after tensions escalated in Gaza following Israeli air raids that reportedly killed at least 13 people, including three commanders of the militant group Islamic Jihad.
However, he was able to meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and business delegates before he headed back.
"We are strengthening ties with the most populous country in the world and expanding cooperation in the fields of cyber, agriculture and water. Our cooperation will strengthen Israel’s position in the world and stability in the Middle East," Cohen said after meeting Jaishankar.
The two ministers also visited the Haifa memorial – which is a memorial for Indian soldiers who fell in battles in Israel during World War 1.
"We had a productive and wide-ranging discussions. The main pillars of our strategic partnership are agriculture, water, defence and security – which are taking our ties forward. We discussed cooperation in high tech digital and innovation and also connectivity, mobility, tourism, finance and health. We also initiated an agreement in the area of mobility," said Jaishankar.
Cohen’s trip is the third high-level visit by senior Israeli officials in less than three months, after Israeli parliament speaker Amir Ohana in late March and Economy Minister Nir Barkat in April.
These visits were seen as preparing the ground for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trip to India later this year.