Important to increase direct flights between India and Israel: Israeli envoy

Making a pitch for developing the tourism industry, Israeli Ambassador to India Dabuek Carmon today said it was important to increase the number of direct flights between the two countries.

"To develop tourism, it is important to increase the number of direct flights from India to Israel," he said.

Israel was keen on extended partnership with the country, especially in the Southern region, Carmon said after calling on Chief Minister O Panneerselvam at the Secretariat here.

After making a visit to the Nemmeli Desalination plant situated near here in which an Israel-based company had provided the technology, Carmon said greater co-operation was possible between the two countries in water treatment sector.

Extending his invitation to the Global Investors Meet scheduled to be held here in May, Panneerselvam expressed hope that Israel would accept it and be a Partner-Nation for the two-day event.

Some areas that could be possible for strengthening trade relations include pharmaceuticals, agriculture, IT, telecommunication and security related products, he said.

Stating that Tamil Nadu was covered under the Indo-Israel Bilateral agreement for cooperation in agriculture, he said, "India-Israel Centres of Excellence for cooperation in agriculture are being set up, including two Centres in Tamil Nadu-- at Reddiarchatram in Dindigul district and Thally in Krishnagiri district."

Tamil Nadu has also benefited from Israeli expertise and technology in the area of horticulture mechanisation, protected cultivation, orchard and canopy management, nursery management and post-harvest management, he said.

Israeli drip irrigation technologies and products are now widely used in the state, an official release, quoted him as saying.