Interaction with H.E. Mr Daniel Carmon, Ambassador of Israel to India

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In the run up to Indian Prime Minister Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi’s much-awaited visit to Israel, the VIF hosted, on May 18, 2017, H.E. Mr. Daniel Carmon, Israel’s Ambassador to India, for a bilateral discussion on issues of mutual interests. In his opening remarks, General NC Vij, Director VIF, while highlighting a growing trajectory of relations between India and Israel in the recent years, clarified that India is no longer constrained to play hide and seek in so far as its relationship with Israel is concerned. Besides pointing at the growing top level engagements between the two countries especially since 2014, he spoke of the growing synergy across a number of areas including terrorism and concern for the environment, among many others. With defence and security cooperation being an important node of the bilateral partnership between India and Israel, the Director urged the Israeli Ambassador to make the best use of the potentials of ‘Make in India’ and extend bilateral cooperation to other areas such as dry-land farming, water management, information technology, tourism, and so on.

Complimenting the views expressed by the Director, H.E. Daniel Carmon expressed satisfaction at the pace the bilateral relationship has progressed since 1992 when India and Israel formally established their diplomatic relations. The Ambassador, possibly to project a world view, stressed on giving more visibility to the high level exchanges which are taking place between the two countries. He further added that even as India and Israel prepare to celebrate 25 years of their diplomatic relations, it is time both for retrospection and preparation of a future roadmap of relationship. While admitting that defence cooperation forms a crucial component of the bilateral relationship, HE. Carmon reiterated that bilateral cooperation needs to be further toned up both in terms of substance and symbolism. In so far as the Prime Minister Modi’s impending visit to Israel is concerned, the Ambassador described it as a peaking of bilateral relations between India and Israel. The ensuing interaction endorsed the fact that PM Modi’s visit to Israel would open up altogether a new chapter of bilateral cooperation between India and Israel.