National

Jaishankar going to Israel on five-day visit, to meet President, Prime Minister

New Delhi, (the states. news) External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will go on a five-day official visit to Israel from October 17 at the invitation of Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Israel Yair Lapid.

This will be his first visit to the country as External Affairs Minister. He will hold a bilateral meeting with the Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Israel. He will also call on President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Naftali Bennett, and the Knesset Speaker Mickey Levy.

India and Israel elevated bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership during the historic visit of PM Narendra Modi to Israel in July 2017. Since then, the relationship between the two countries has focused on expanding the knowledge-based partnership, which includes collaboration in innovation and research, including boosting the ‘Make in India’ initiative, an official statement said.

EAM 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 visit will also be an occasion to pay tribute to the valiant Indian soldiers who laid down their lives in the region, especially during the First World War, it said.

Earlier, Alon Ushpiz, the Director-General of the Israel Foreign Ministry, in a tweet announced the upcoming visit of the EAM, while wishing Indians a Happy Dussehra on Friday.

“Shubho Bijoya/Happy Dussehra to all of you, on the eve of @DrSJaishankar’s important visit to Israel. India is a strategic partner and a very close friend,” he posted on Friday.

Naor Gilon, the new Israeli Ambassador in India, retweeted the tweet, and posted: ”We are excited to receive @DrSJaishankar in Israel.” (uni)(For Hindi News : mediasaheb.com)