Jaishankar to begin 5-day Israel visit today

This will be Jaishankar’s first visit to the country as External Affairs Minister.

The Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement on Saturday that Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Israel from October 17-21 at the invitation of Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Lapid.

He will hold a bilateral meeting with Lapid and will also call on President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, and Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy during his visit.

India and Israel elevated bilateral relations to a strategic partnership during the historic visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in July 2017.

Since then, the relationship between the two countries has focused on expanding knowledge-based partnership, which includes collaboration in innovation and research, including boosting the ‘Make in India’ initiative, the MEA said.

During his visit, Jaishankar will interact with the Indian-origin Jewish community in Israel, Indologists, Indian students who are currently pursuing their education in Israeli universities, and business people, including from the hi-tech industries, the statement said. The visit will also be an occasion to pay tribute to the valiant Indian soldiers who laid their lives in the region, especially during the First World War, it said.