Israel keen to enhance ties with Andhra, Telangana

Israel Tuesday said it was looking to enhance cooperation with both the Telugu states - Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

Israeli Ambassador to India Daniel Carmon Tuesday met Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and discussed possible ways to continue cooperation between Israel and Andhra Pradesh, mainly through the joint working group that was set up following their meeting in August.

They agreed to focus on the joint activities in specific areas like water, internal security and agriculture, according to a statement from the Israeli embassy.

The Israeli envoy invited Naidu to visit his country to attend the Agritech Israel 2015, the 19th international agricultural technology exhibition, scheduled April 28-30.

A statement from the Chief Minister's Office quoted the ambassador as saying that Israel is a water-scarce region but it has excelled in water efficiency.

Explaining that Israeli technology will contribute to the rapid growth of Andhra Pradesh, Carmon said they could also help the state in waste management, recycling and desalination of water.

Naidu urged Israel to work with the state government in skill upgradation.

The ambassador, who was on a two-day visit to Hyderabad, also called on E.S.L. Narasimhan, the governor of both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

He expressed Israel's keenness to promote collaboration with both the states in the fields of agriculture, water and internal security.

Carmon also addressed a round-table conference on "India-Israel relations - way forward".

The ambassador also attended the new brand and logo launch of Israeli agro chemical company ADAMA Agricultural Solutions.