India, Israel to push free trade pact, boost defence cooperation: Modi
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India will soon give final shape to a mutually beneficial free trade agreement with Israel, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday.
The two countries will also pursue joint development, production, and transfer of technology in defence, Modi said at the end of his two-day trip aimed at strengthening ties with Israel.
Modi said Tel Aviv and New Delhi agreed there was “no place for terrorism in the world”.
“India and Israel are clear that there is no place for terrorism in the world, in any form… We will oppose it shoulder to shoulder. We will always oppose it in the future,” Modi said at a press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem.
“Humanity must never become a victim of conflict,” he added.
Following their meeting, Netanyahu’s office said the “two leaders will sign a series of agreements between Israel and India in economic, security, and diplomatic fields”.
Separately, Modi said he and Israeli President Isaac Herzog held “extremely fruitful and wide-ranging” talks.
In his post on X, which included Hebrew and Hindi translations, Herzog said, “The people of Israel and India are stronger together.”
“Fully agree with you, President Herzog,” Modi replied.
“It was a delight to meet you and discuss diverse aspects of the India-Israel friendship. There is immense scope in futuristic areas such as technology, innovation, startups and more,” he added.
Talks opened in New Delhi on Monday for an India-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA), India’s government said in a statement, noting that merchandise trade reached $3.62 billion in 2024-2025.
Modi landed on a two-day visit to Israel on Wednesday, drawing sharp criticism at home.
He addressed the Israeli parliament, where he affirmed that India stands “firmly” with Israel.
While Modi did not explicitly mention the tens of thousands of Palestinians killed in Gaza by Israel’s offensive, he said that India “supports all efforts that contribute to durable peace and regional stability”.
Days ago, Netanyahu listed India, Greece, Cyprus and unnamed Arab, African, and Asian countries as part of a “hexagon of alliances” against “radical axes” of Muslim nations.
