press trust of india
Jerusalem, Jan 11: Israel will invest USD 68.6 million to boost cooperation with India in areas like tourism, technology, agriculture and innovation over a period of four years, a senior official here has said ahead of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s high-profile India visit next week.
The commitment is in addition to the India-Israel Industrial R&D and Technological Innovation Fund of USD 40 million over five years with equal contribution from both sides that has already been agreed between the two sides, deputy director general of Israel’s Foreign Ministry, Gilad Cohen, said.
Netanyahu will be leading a high-profile delegation comprising 130 businessmen from 102 Israeli companies drawn from areas like agriculture, water, cyber security, healthcare and security on his four day trip to India starting January 14. It will be the second visit by an Israeli Prime Minister to India after a gap of 15 years since Ariel Sharon visited New Delhi in 2003. The visit comes merely six months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the Jewish state, becoming the first Indian premier to do so.
Several MoUs, including in the field of oil and gas, renewable energy, amended protocol for airports, cyber security, co-production of films and documentaries will be signed between the two sides. Israel’s Saare Tzedek hospital would be signing an agreement with India’s Ministry of Health and Family Welfare as well. Informed sources here said that this relates to sharing of knowledge in the field of homoeopathy and ayurveda that have been gaining popularity in Israel over the last few years. Technion-Israel Institute of Technology would also be signing an agreement with Ministry of Science and Technology, sources here said in a
statement.
