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Krishna begins four-day key visit to West Asia
Giving a fillip to ties with the energy-rich West Asia, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on Sunday begins his four-day visit to Jordan, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Palestine. Krishna is the first Indian Foreign Minister to visit Israel in 11 years.
Coincidently Krishna arrives in Tel Aviv on Monday which coincides with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Tel Aviv.
He is expected to meet Israeli President Simon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu besides holding talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Cooperation in defence, security, agriculture and science and technology are expected to figure prominently in the discussions amid India’s keenness to widen the scope of partnership in the field of defence, the sources said.
During his visit to Israel, two pacts — Extradition Treaty and Transfer of Sentenced Persons — are expected to be signed, sources said.
They said from a buyer-seller relationship, both sides are looking at expanding their relations. Anti-terror cooperation is also expected to figure in the discussions, against the backdrop of growth in this aspect of the relationship since the Mumbai 2008 attacks in which six Israeli nationals were killed.
In Israel, Krishna will also visit the Holocaust Hospital besides the Indian War Cemetery where 79 Indian soldiers killed in the First World War are buried.
Krishna’s visit to Israel assumes significance because the last such trip took place in July 2000 when the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh travelled there.
The Minister will visit Jordan en route to Israel and UAE while returning home. In Jordan, he will meet with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh and may discuss the Israel-Palestine dispute. Incidentally, India was the largest export partner and ninth largest import partner of Jordan in 2008.
Giving a fillip to ties with the energy-rich West Asia, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna on Sunday begins his four-day visit to Jordan, Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Palestine. Krishna is the first Indian Foreign Minister to visit Israel in 11 years.
Coincidently Krishna arrives in Tel Aviv on Monday which coincides with the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between New Delhi and Tel Aviv.
He is expected to meet Israeli President Simon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu besides holding talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman.
Cooperation in defence, security, agriculture and science and technology are expected to figure prominently in the discussions amid India’s keenness to widen the scope of partnership in the field of defence, the sources said.
During his visit to Israel, two pacts — Extradition Treaty and Transfer of Sentenced Persons — are expected to be signed, sources said.
They said from a buyer-seller relationship, both sides are looking at expanding their relations. Anti-terror cooperation is also expected to figure in the discussions, against the backdrop of growth in this aspect of the relationship since the Mumbai 2008 attacks in which six Israeli nationals were killed.
In Israel, Krishna will also visit the Holocaust Hospital besides the Indian War Cemetery where 79 Indian soldiers killed in the First World War are buried.
Krishna’s visit to Israel assumes significance because the last such trip took place in July 2000 when the then External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh travelled there.
The Minister will visit Jordan en route to Israel and UAE while returning home. In Jordan, he will meet with his Jordanian counterpart Nasser Judeh and may discuss the Israel-Palestine dispute. Incidentally, India was the largest export partner and ninth largest import partner of Jordan in 2008.
