NSA Doval in Israel to prepare ground for PM’s first visit

NEW DELHI: The groundwork has begun for Prime Minister Na rend raMo di’ s historic visit to Israel in July this year with NationalSecurity Advisor Ajit Doval on a quiet two-day visit to Tel Aviv. Doval left for Israel on February 28 and is expected to return on March 3.

The Mo di government remains tight-lipped about the NS A’ s tour, but Doval is understood to have met Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Net any a hua swell his counterpart Yosef Cohen who also heads the intelligence agency Mossad.

The visit by the national security advisor will lay thefoundation for Mo di’ s visit—the first ever by an Indian prime minister—to celebrate 25 years of diplomatic ties and take the bilateral relationship to a new level. Doval will be followed by foreign secretary S. Jaishankar and minister of state for external affairs MJ Akbar in therun-upto-Modi’svisit.

South Block officials told Hindustan Times that Doval is not only expected to final is ethe dates of the prime minister’ s visit—the first week of July appears likely— but also discuss the security and defence agenda for the visit.

It isle arnt that both sides have exchanged views of regional developments, including those in Syria, Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and Pakistan, with Tel Aviv worried at the role of Tehran ind esta bi li sing Wes tAsia.

The involvement of Chi in supporting the Taliban against the Islamic Stateinthe Af-Pak region has also been a cause for concern for both India and Israel as well as the Western powers.