The newly elected government in Israel emphasised on Monday the importance of the broad-spectrum relation with India and expressed its intention to strengthening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
A day after Naftali Bennett was sworn in as Israel’s 13th prime minister in Israel’s 36th government; and Yair Lapid was sworn in as alternate prime minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, the two leaders said they looked forward to working together to further the “unique” relationship.
India’s multi-faceted ties with Israel transformed into a strategic partnership in 2017, a quarter century after the establishment of full diplomatic relation when Prime Minister Narendra Modi went on a state visit to the West Asian country, becoming the first Indian prime minister to do so.
The next year Benjamin Netanyahu reciprocated the move, visiting India.
Modi earlier in the day conveyed his “profound gratitude” to Netanyahu’s “leadership and personal attention to India-Israel strategic partnership.”
Bennet in a tweet on his official handle said, “I look forward to working with you to further develop the unique and warm relations between our two democracies.”
He thanked Modi for a congratulatory message earlier in the day.
Modi said he looked forward to meeting the new Israeli premier and deepening the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Foreign Minister Lapid also said that Israel’s new government will work to ”advance strategic relations” with India.
”I look forward to working together to advance the strategic relations between our countries,” Lapid told External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in a tweet.
Lapid said he hoped to welcome the EAM to Israel “soon.”
He was responding to Jaishankar who congratulated him on his appointment.
Jaishankar said he looked forward to “working closely together to further advance our multifaceted strategic partnership.”
India and Israel celebrate 30 years of the upgradation of diplomatic relations next year.
