New Delhi [India], May 9 : Israel Foreign Minister Eli Cohen, who is on a visit to India, on Tuesday said he will raise the issue of the India-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Cohen will meet PM Modi later in the day today.
The Israel Foreign Minister, who was earlier on a three-day visit to India starting today, decided to cut short his visit due to a security update amid action by the Israel Army against members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.
Speaking at the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) India-Israel Business Forum in Delhi, Cohen said, "I also will raise with Prime Minister Modi the issue of the Free Trade Agreement, which I believe can boost our relations."
"Would like to take this opportunity to have students from India come to Israel, mainly in technology and other industry as well," he added.
The Minister highlighted the common points between India and Israel and said that the two countries are cooperating and working together with the Jewish people and the Indian people."
"Israel, the Abraham Accords countries and India is the gate from the east to the west and we analyse it economically. And if you see the trades that come from India will go to Saudi Arabia, and then by train till Haifa Port in Israel and from there to the markets in Europe," Cohen said.
Cohen said he thinks this is the vision of India-Israel relations.
"I think this route can be very important for our future," he said.
On Tuesday, three Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) were signed between India and Israel in the presence of Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen in the national capital.
Cohen on Tuesday arrived in India on a three-day official visit.
The Israeli Foreign Minister has, however, decided to cut short his India visit due to a security update amid action by the Israel Army against members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement.
Cohen, who arrived in India on Tuesday on a three-day official visit, will now return to Israel after his meeting with PM Modi.
"I landed a short time ago in New Delhi, the capital of India, and immediately upon landing I received a security update. In light of the events in Israel, I decided to cut short the diplomatic visit to India and return to Israel after my meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi that will take place today," the Israeli Foreign Minister said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Three senior members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement were killed by the Israeli army in an early Tuesday morning bombing in which explosions ripped through Gaza under 'Operation Shield and Arrow', The Times of Israel reported.
The Israeli army began hitting targets in the Strip just after 2 am in what appeared to be a coordinated surprise attack on the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement's senior leaders.
Prior to the operation, Israeli residents of areas within 40 kilometres (25 miles) of Gaza were instructed to enter or stay near bomb shelters amid fears of retaliatory attacks, as raids continued to thunder across the Strip.
According to The Times of Israel, previous strikes on Islamic Jihad leaders sparked barrages of rockets on Israeli civilians and intense battles with Israeli troops, some lasting several days.
At least 12 people including the three senior members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad movement were killed in the latest air raids on Gaza Strip by Israel's military on Tuesday.
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