Israeli Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Thursday, “The Gaza peace plan opens a path towards peace. India fully supports these efforts. We will also continue to engage in dialogue and cooperation with various countries in the future.”“Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a joint statement welcomed US President Donald Trump’s “comprehensive plan to end the conflict in Gaza”. They discussed regional developments, including the peace process, and stressed the need to establish just and lasting peace, security, and freedom of navigation and trade in the region through dialogue and mutual understanding, the statement said.
While discussing the regional situation, Modi and Netanyahu also touched on tensions between the United States and Iran, with Modi emphasizing India’s “firm belief” in dialogue and the importance of seeking a peaceful solution. Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said the prime minister reiterated his readiness to extend support to India for a peaceful resolution if required.The meeting reached more than 20 results, including the signing of 16 memorandums of understanding/agreements, covering areas such as artificial intelligence, education, horizon scanning, culture, labor mobility and “sustainable resource development” geophysical exploration. The leaders shared their vision and provided a roadmap for further strengthening “trust cooperation” in defense, with Modi saying the two sides would advance joint development, joint production and technology transfer.
Modi said that technology is at the core of the future partnership between India and Israel. “We decided to establish critical and emerging technology partnerships. This will inject new impetus into cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology and critical minerals,” he said. According to the joint statement, this initiative will synergize the two countries’ respective strengths in niche technologies and foster a targeted, future-oriented partnership.To promote regional connectivity, both sides agreed to advance the India-Middle East-European Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the India-Israel-UAE-United States (I2U2) with “new momentum”.Regarding terrorism, Modi said that the position of India and Israel is clear, that is, terrorism in any form or manifestation cannot be accepted. “We have always stood together against terrorism and those who support terrorism, and we will continue to do so,” he continued on the issue in a speech to parliament.In a joint statement, the leaders condemned cross-border terrorism, including the Pahalgam attack, the “terrorist incident” at the Red Fort and the Hamas terror attack on October 7, 2023. “They called on the international community to take decisive and concerted efforts to comprehensively and sustainably combat terrorism. The two Prime Ministers expressed their grave concern about this common challenge and reaffirmed their collective determination as leaders of two dynamic and resilient democracies to combat this threat. “Modi said that both sides are determined to chart the future direction for agricultural cooperation. “The centers of excellence established in India in partnership with Israel today serve as outstanding examples of our friendship. Inspired by their success, we have set a goal of expanding their number to 100,” he said.
