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Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday said India and Israel must work together to eliminate terrorism and join hands to ensure peace and security, as both nations formally signed the Terms of Reference to begin negotiations on a long-pending Free Trade Agreement (FTA).
Speaking at the India-Israel Business Summit in Tel Aviv, Goyal also addressed the recent challenges faced by Israelis, referring to the October 7 Hamas attack and hostilities that followed it. "The last two years have been difficult for our brothers and sisters in Israel. You all have shown tremendous resilience in the face of adversity, and I commend you for that. I truly admire your ability to withstand difficulties," he said. Drawing parallels with the heinous terror attacks on India alone this year, Goyal said, "We in India also have suffered terrorism for several decades now. In Pahalgam, Kashmir, terrorists identified people by religion and killed them in front of their wives and children. A few days ago, we had a blast in New Delhi, right in the heart of the capital city," he said, adding that both countries "have to work together to eliminate the problem of terrorism." The minister said emotional ties between the two countries had grown deeper over the years. "We may be geographically very far apart, but emotionally, the people of Israel and India are very close," he added. Goyal, who is leading a 60-member business delegation to Israel, said the upcoming FTA talks mark a new phase in bilateral trade relations. "India-Israel FTA will be a stepping stone to our shared prosperity. India's skills can be leveraged by Israel for its metro project in Tel Aviv," he said. He also held a bilateral meeting with Israel's Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat earlier in the day. Both leaders jointly addressed the business summit, where Goyal highlighted "unlimited possibilities and potential" in areas such as fintech, agritech, machine learning, quantum computing, pharmaceuticals, space and defence. The minister will travel to Jerusalem on Friday as part of his visit to deepen economic cooperation and boost trade and investment ties. (ANI)
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