Report: Israeli President Rivlin to Visit India, Accompanied by Delegation of ‘Unprecedented Size’
by Algemeiner Staff
Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will be joined by a delegation of business and academic officials of “unprecedented size” during his upcoming six-day visit to India later this month, The Hindu reported on Thursday.
According to the report, during the trip, which will be the second-ever by an Israeli president to the subcontinent, Rivlin will meet with his Indian counterpart, President Pranab Mukherjee — who visited the Jewish state last year — and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, among other prominent figures.
Rivlin and Mukherjee, the report said, will oversee the signing of a number of cooperation agreements in the realms of agriculture, water and education. In addition, defense deals may be inked during the Israeli president’s stay in India.
Rivlin’s visit, which will take place from November 15-20, is expected to “pave the way” for a trip to Israel by Modi, according to The Hindu. Such a visit would be the first-ever by an Indian prime minister.
Recently, as reported by The Algemeiner, Modi made a positive comparison between his country’s military to the Israel Defense Forces, drawing mixed media reactions on the subcontinent.
Next year will mark the 25th anniversary of the 1992 establishment of full diplomatic relations between Israel and India, coming as the two countries currently enjoy a burgeoning relationship, particularly in the defense field.
Economic data shows that bilateral trade between Israel and India currently stands at around $5 billion annually — up from around $200 million a quarter of a century ago.
In an interview with The Algemeiner in May, Ohad Horsandi, a spokesman at the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi, said, “BDS (Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement) is far from the Indian mentality.”