Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a telephone conversation with his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, during which the two leaders reviewed the progress of the India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership and exchanged views on the evolving situation in West Asia. Following the call, PM Modi said the bilateral partnership continued to deepen across several areas of cooperation.
“Received a phone call from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. We reviewed progress on various aspects of the India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership which continues to grow from strength-to-strength. We also exchanged views on the current situation in West Asia,” Modi said in a post on X.
According to the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the leaders reviewed the sustained progress made under the India-Israel Special Strategic Partnership and reaffirmed their commitment to expanding cooperation across key sectors for the mutual benefit of both countries.
“The two leaders agreed to remain in touch,” the PMO said in a statement.
The phone call comes months after Prime Minister Modi’s two-day State Visit to Israel in February, which was undertaken at the invitation of Netanyahu.
During that visit, the two leaders reflected on Modi’s landmark visit to Israel in 2017 and Netanyahu’s visit to India in 2018, describing them as the foundation of a new phase in bilateral relations.
They noted the significant expansion of cooperation in areas including emerging technologies, cybersecurity, agriculture, water management, healthcare, entrepreneurship, defence and security.
The leaders also agreed to elevate bilateral ties to a Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity, signalling a broader framework for future collaboration.
According to the India-Israel Joint Statement issued on 26 February, both Prime Ministers reaffirmed their shared commitment to strengthening cooperation based on peace, security and technological innovation.
The statement highlighted that India’s strengths in talent, manufacturing and entrepreneurship complement Israel’s leadership in technology and innovation.
Both countries also committed to deepening collaboration in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, semiconductors, quantum computing, biotechnology, agriculture, water management, defence platforms and space exploration.
The joint statement said the partnership would support India’s vision of an ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’, while driving technological innovation and shared economic growth for both nations.
(With IANS inputs)
