Punjab CM confident of greater cooperation from Israel

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh is expecting that his visit next week to Israel would open new vistas of growth and cooperation with the Jewish nation in key areas, particularly the agriculture, horticulture and dairy sectors.

The chief minister, accompanied by a high-level delegation, is scheduled to leave for his five-day visit to Israel on October 21, according to an official spokesperson.

At a meeting with Charge de' Affairs of Israeli Embassy, Maya Kadosh, who called on him this morning, the chief minister also hoped to share Israel's expertise in the field of internal security to further strengthen the state's defence preparedness.

Seeking to position Punjab as the most favoured investment destination among foreign investors, the chief minister said his government was keen to tap the technological advancements on offer by Israel.

India and Israel share glorious historical ties which should be fully harnessed through mutual cooperation to ensure overall growth and prosperity for both sides, Amarinder said at the meeting.

The visiting delegate apprised the chief minister of the elaborate arrangements being made to make his visit result oriented, and said that entrepreneurs, especially from the defence segment, were keenly awaiting the visit.

The chief minister said he looked forward to signing the two MoUs in the field of Agriculture and Water Conservation, as these would propel the state government's efforts towards making farming more viable for the agricultural community.

He reiterated the need for the farmers to diversify their crop pattern and get out of the paddy-wheat cycle, and showed interest in replicating the latest practices of drip irrigation and Hydroponics in view of the depleting water table in Punjab.

He said he was keen to adopt Israeli know-how to boost the dairy sector and also wanted to visit the Israeli orchards and nurseries to secure first-hand knowledge of the technological advancements in hybrid production of plants.

The chief minister sought Israeli assistance in improving the quality of citrus fruits as Punjab was the leading producer of Kinnow and wanted to go for mass plantation of sweet oranges, which finds a remunerative market in the MNCs.

He also discussed cooperation in livestock development with the visiting delegate.

The chief minister evinced interest in tapping Israel's state-of-the-art technology and expertise in intelligence and homeland security in order to boost Punjab's security apparatus, the spokesman said.