​(Communicated by MFA Spokesperson)

25 years ago today, on the 29th of January 1992, the Foreign Ministers of Israel and India signed the agreement to establish diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The formal establishment of relations was predicated on the already strong links between the peoples of our two ancient cultures, going back centuries to the Jewish merchants who plied the trade routes to Mumbai, Kochi and the other port cities of India. Today, close to one hundred thousand Israelis boast Indian descent and are just one of the many valuable links between the two countries.

In 2003, PM Ariel Sharon visited India. During that visit "The Delhi Statement on Friendship and Cooperation between India and Israel" was signed. This important document led to the upgrading of the relationship between the two countries in various issues, including high-tech, agriculture, water, health, education, defense, smart-cities, research, and of course diplomacy.

The relationship was given a further boost during the visit of President Pranab Mukherjee to Israel (October 2015) and the reciprocal visit of President Reuven Rivlin to India (December 2016).

Today, the Government of Israel is in the process of finalizing an initiative which will promote and fund programs that will ensure the continued enhancement and expansion of our mutual cooperation. The Government and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, are promoting joint business ventures, agricultural programs, tourism, and other joint projects. The Foreign Ministry will also be spearheading a special program to bring young Indian leaders to Israel, from multiple fields of interest, in order to learn what Israel has to offer and to realise the potential for cooperation and collaboration.