 "Prime Minister Narendra Modi with his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during a private meeting in Tel Aviv on Wednesday. Image Courtesy: @narendramodi")
After a ceremonial welcome at Ben Gurion Airport, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu held a private meeting at the airport ahead of PM Modi’s scheduled address to the Knesset in Jerusalem.
In footage shared by Netanyahu’s office, the Israeli leader warmly greeted PM Modi, saying, “This is a bond of a real friendship,” and referred to him as “my great friend,” prompting laughter from the PM Modi.
After the meeting, PM Modi tweeted that he had an “excellent meeting” with Prime Minister Netanyahu.
“Expressed gratitude to him for the warm welcome earlier in the day. It is a delight to be back in Israel after 9 years. We discussed a wide range of subjects aimed at boosting bilateral ties. Sectors such as technology, water management, agriculture, talent partnership and more offer immense scope for close collaboration. We also discussed key developments in the region,” PM Modi wrote.
Earlier, PM Netanyahu tweeted that he and his wife, Sara, welcomed PM Modi to Israel for “another historic visit.”
Netanyahu noted that PM Modi had previously visited Israel in 2017, and he later made a reciprocal visit to India, describing it as “truly exceptional.”
“My wife Sara and I welcomed today our good friend, Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi, who has arrived for another historic visit to Israel. Prime Minister Modi previously visited Israel in 2017, and I later paid a reciprocal visit to India that was truly exceptional,” he said.
He also highlighted the close personal relationship he shares with PM Modi, saying, “We speak often, and I believe that the deep friendship between us powerfully reflects on the ties between our two countries.”
During the visit, PM Netanyahu said they will attend a festive reception at the Knesset, visit an innovation event in Jerusalem, and host PM Modi for a joint dinner.
On Thursday, the leaders are scheduled to visit Yad Vashem and hold another meeting with their teams, during which a series of agreements in economic, security, and diplomatic areas are expected to be signed to strengthen Israel-India cooperation.
With inputs from agencies