Water to space: India, Israel ink 7 key strategic pacts during Modi visit

Sign a $40-mn R&D fund for joint innovation in agriculture, water, energy and technology

India and Israel on Wednesday elevated their ties to the “strategic partnership” level with a vow to do “much more together” to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism and pitched for “strong measures” against those financing and providing sanctuaries to terror groups.

The issue of terror and “strategic threats” along with various other topics like cooperation in defence and security, water, agriculture, space and West Asia figured prominently in the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu here on Wednesday.

After the wide-ranging talks, the two sides signed seven pacts covering areas like innovation, water conservation, agriculture and space.

India and Israel also agreed to set up a $40 million fund for industrial Research and Development, and innovation fund, with both countries contributing $20 million each.

“Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples,” Modi, who is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Israel, said in a joint media appearance with Netanyahu.

India, Israel ink 7 pacts

India and Israel signed 7 agreements to step-up cooperation in key sectors like space, agriculture and water conservation after Prime Minister Narendra Modi held in-depth talks with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu

• MoU signed between Department of Science & Technology and Israel’s National Technological Innovation Authority for setting up of $40 million worth India-Israel Industrial R&D & Technical Innovation Fund

• Ministry of Drinking Water & Sanitation, and Israel’s Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy & Water Resources signed a pact on National Campaign for Water Conservation in India

• The second one was signed between Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam and the Ministry of National Infrastructure, Energy & Water Resources on state water utility reform in India

• In the farm sector, the two countries have agreed upon India-Israel development cooperation - a three-year work programme in agriculture from 2018 to 2020

• They also agreed for cooperation between the Isro and the Israel Space Agency (ISA) regarding cooperation in atomic clocks

• Besides, separate MoUs were signed between Isro and ISA for cooperation in GEO-LEO optical link, and in electric propulsion for small satellites

Modi, on the second day of his three-day visit, said India and Israel live in “complex geographies” and are aware of “strategic threats” to regional peace and stability.

“India has suffered first-hand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel,” he said, adding the two leaders had “agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalisation and terrorism, including in cyberspace.”

Netanyahu said the two countries need to cooperate in the field of counter-terrorism as he described 26/11 as a “horrible terrorist attack”.

Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar, while briefing the media on the talks later, said that the two countries had decided to elevate their relationship to the strategic partnership, which gives a special dimension to the ties.

A joint statement issued after the talks said “strong measures should be taken against terrorists, terror organisations, their networks and all those who encourage, support and finance terrorism, or provide sanctuary to terrorists and terror groups.” 

Though nobody was named in this context, the Indian side saw this as a reference to Pakistan.

The two leaders recognised that terrorism poses a grave threat to global peace and stability and reiterated their strong commitment to combat it in all its forms and manifestations, the joint statement said. 

“They stressed that there can be no justification for acts of terror on any grounds whatsoever,” it said.

Both leaders also committed to cooperate for the early adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism, the statement added.