India and Israel on Thursday elevated their "time-tested" relationship to a special strategic partnership and agreed to fast-track a long-awaited free trade deal even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi backed the Gaza peace initiative, asserting that humanity must never become a victim of conflict.
In his media statement after holding wide-ranging talks with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Modi said India's security interests are directly linked to peace and stability in the Middle East and that New Delhi has been pitching for a peaceful solution to the conflict in Gaza.
Following the meeting between the two prime ministers, India and Israel inked a total of 17 agreements and documents that will provide for deeper cooperation in artificial intelligence, trade, investment, education, manufacturing, culture, maritime heritage, agriculture and a plethora of other areas.
The two sides also vowed to expand their already close defence partnership by working towards joint development and joint production of military hardware under the framework of the transfer of technologies.
The US-Iran standoff and other issues in the region figured in the talks and PM Modi mentioned India's firm belief in the value of dialogue and reiterated New Delhi's readiness to offer support, if required, toward achieving a peaceful solution, according to Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri.
In his media statement, PM Modi elaborated on the upward trajectory of India-Israel ties and said the relationship is built on a strong foundation of deep trust, shared democratic values, and human compassion.
"Our relationship has stood the test of time. Today, we took the historic decision to elevate our time-tested partnership to 'Special Strategic Partnership. This decision reflects the aspirations of the people of both countries," he said.
The relationship was upgraded to a strategic partnership in 2017.
"Our economic cooperation remains an engine of growth, innovation, and shared prosperity. Last year, we signed a bilateral investment agreement to promote mutual investment. We will also soon finalise a mutually beneficial Free Trade Agreement (FTA)," Modi said.
The prime minister also talked about the joint resolve of India and Israel in combating terrorism.
"India and Israel are absolutely clear that terrorism has no place in the world. Terrorism, in any form, in any manifestation, cannot be tolerated," Modi, who landed in Israel on Wednesday on a two-day visit, said.
"We have stood shoulder to shoulder against terrorism and its supporters, and will continue to do so."
The prime minister noted that India's security interests are directly linked to peace and stability in West Asia.
"Therefore, we have supported dialogue and a peaceful solution from the very beginning. This is the call of the Global South and all humanity," he said.
"India's thinking is clear: humanity must never become a victim of conflict. The Gaza Peace Plan has opened a path to peace. India has fully supported these efforts. We will continue dialogue and cooperation with all countries in the future," he said.
The prime minister also made a mention of the resolve by the two sides to forge a partnership in the area of critical and emerging technologies.
"Technology is central to our future partnership. Today, we decided to establish a critical and emerging technologies partnership. This will give new impetus to cooperation in areas such as AI, quantum, and critical minerals," he said.
"I am pleased that an agreement has been reached for the use of UPI (Unified Payment Interface) in Israel. We are also committed to improving people's lives by sharing our experiences in the field of digital health," he said.
Modi also touched upon the defence ties between the two sides.
"We have decades-old and trusted cooperation in the defence sector. The MoU signed last year will add new dimensions to this. Together, we will move forward towards joint development, joint production, and transfer of technology," he said.
The prime minister said both sides will also advance cooperation in areas of civil nuclear energy and space.
Modi, referring to robust engagement between the two countries in the agriculture sector, said it has been decided to give this cooperation a futuristic direction.
"The Centres of Excellence established in India with Israeli cooperation are excellent examples of our friendship. Given their success, we have set a goal of increasing their number to 100," he said.
The existing Centres of Excellence offer new technology for agricultural production.
"Taking a step further in this direction, we are working on creating Villages of Excellence. This will bring Israeli technology to every village in India, significantly increasing the income and productivity of millions of farmers," Modi said.
At a media briefing, Foreign Secretary Misri, responding to a question on New Delhi's position on the Palestine issue, said India backs the US-endorsed Gaza Peace Initiative and referred to PM Modi's remarks on it in his address to Israel's Knesset on Wednesday.
"We firmly believe that it (the Gaza Peace Initiative) holds the promise of a just, durable and lasting peace for all the people of the region, including by addressing the Palestinian question," the foreign secretary said.
"This is something that was made amply clear by the prime minister in his address to the Knesset yesterday where he framed this issue very comprehensively," he said.
Misri, referring to Modi's remarks, said this is not the time to lose hope, and it is the time sustain the hope.
In the meeting, India and Israel also discussed the implementation of the India-Middle East Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and cooperation under the framework of I2U2 (India-Israel-UAE-USA).
"We had a comprehensive discussion on regional and global issues. While promoting regional connectivity, we will move forward with renewed momentum on the India-Middle-East-Europe-Economic-Corridor and the India-Israel-UAE-the US (I2U2) framework," Modi said.
