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India and Israel discussed potential areas for future collaboration in the field of technology as well as enhancing operational capabilities at the 17th meeting of Joint Working Group (JWG) on Defence Cooperation, co-chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Director General of Israeli Ministry of Defence Maj Gen (Res) Amir Baram.
The meeting, which took place in Tel Aviv on Tuesday, also deliberated on various issues, including shared challenges of terrorism and underscored the collective resolve to fight against the threat. An MoU on Defence Cooperation was signed during the meeting to provide a unified vision and policy direction to deepen the already strong defence cooperation between the two countries. The MoU will enable the sharing of advanced technology and would promote co-development and co-production, a Defence Ministry release said. A wide range of areas for cooperation have been identified in the MoU that will benefit both countries. Important fields include strategic dialogues of mutual interest, training, defence industrial cooperation, and capabilities including Science and Technology, Research and Development and Technological Innovation, Artificial Intelligence and Cyber Security cooperation. The JWG reviewed the ongoing defence cooperation initiatives and agreed that both the nations have benefited from each other's strengths. "The two sides discussed the potential areas for future collaboration in the field of technology as well as enhancing operational capabilities. They also deliberated on various issues, including shared challenges of terrorism and underscored their collective resolve to fight against the threat," the release said. It said that India-Israel defence partnership is long-standing based on deep mutual trust and shared security interests. The meeting coincided with Israel Foreign Minister Gideon Saar's visit to India. The Israeli Minister met External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday. In his opening remarks during meeting with the Israeli Foreign Minister, Jaishankar said that India and Israel have a strategic partnership. "We have stood together in testing times. And we have created a relationship with a high degree of trust and of reliability. Our two nations face a particular challenge from terrorism. It is essential that we work towards ensuring a global approach of zero-tolerance towards terrorism, in all its forms and manifestations," he said. India and Israel had in September this year signed a Bilateral Investment Agreement. The Agreement is expected to pave the way for increased bilateral investments between the two countries, which presently stands at total of USD 800 million, benefiting businesses and economies in both countries. (ANI)
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