Israeli premier Netanyahu’s first India visit aims to deepen trade tries

NEWDELHI:ISRAELI Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in New Delhi on Sunday on his first visit to India to deepen defence, economic and cultural ties between the two countries that established diplomatic ties barely 25 years ago.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi broke protocol to receive Netanyahu, only the second Israeli leader to visit India after Ariel Sharon in 2003, at the Palam airport where the two leaders shared a warm embrace.

“Indian Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi is a close friend of Israel and of mine and I appreciate the fact he will accompany me on extensive parts of my visit,” Netanyahu said before

leaving for New Delhi. “We are strengthening ties between Israel and this important global power.”

Modi, who made history in July when he became the first Indian PM to visit Israel, would India is historic and special. It will further cement the close friendship between our nations,” Modi tweeted in English and Hebrew. Israel is to invest $68.6 million in areas such as tourism, technology, agriculture and innovation over a period of four years, a senior Israeli official had said ahead of the visit.

From the airport, Modi and Netanyahu headed straight to the Teen Murti Chowk in central Delhi for a ceremony to rename the war memorial as Teen Murtihaifa Chowk. The three bronze statues at Teen Murti represent the Hyderabad, Jodhpur and Mysore Lancers who were part of the 15 Imperial Service Cavalry Brigade that liberated the Israeli city of Haifa on September 23, 1918 during World War 1.