India And Israel To Strengthen Defence Partnership And Combat Terrorism
India and Israel on Tuesday (15 November) decided to enhance their already-strong defence partnership and intensify cooperation in battling terrorism, along with calling upon the global community to act against terrorism. They also agreed to expand cooperation in sectors, including trade and investment, agriculture, water resources and cyber crime.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in a media statement, said people of both countries were constantly threatened by terrorist forces and that both sides have prepared for effectively countering them.
We recognize that terrorism is a global challenge, knows no boundaries and has extensive links with other forms of organized crime… We agreed that the international community must act with resolve and determination against terror networks and States that harbour them. Failure to act and silence of speech only encourages the terrorists.<br>
India is Israel’s largest purchaser of military hardware with the latter supplying various weapons systems. Israeli President Rivlin met President Pranab Mukherjee and Vice-President Hamid Ansari and held bilateral discussions with the Indian delegation at Hyderabad House. The Israeli president said:
I wish to say that, Israel is ready to make in India and make with India.<br>
The Israeli President is accompanied by representatives of the country’s defence and technology sectors.
Today (16 November), as part of his visit, Rivlin visited the 144MLD water treatment plant which supplies piped drinking water to around two million residents of Agra. The plant uses Israeli technology from Aqwise.
Elad Frenkel, Chairman of Israeli Water Sector Steering Committee and CEO of Aqwise, said:
...It is a great honour to have you here in our treatment facility in Agra -- a place which is a unique manifestation of the close bonding between Israel and India…<br>
The facility is active since 2014 and is the largest in India and among the biggest in the world. Talking to media persons, Rivlin said:
God bless India! We hope all homes will get drinking water. This project is the example of the deep bonding of friendship and partnership among our two countries.
With inputs from IANS