Minister of Foreign Affairs Avigdor Liberman met (Wednesday, 1 October 2014) in New York with External Affairs Minister of India Sushma Swaraj.

 

 

FM Liberman thanked External Affairs Minister Swaraj for her country's long-standing friendship with Israel and for her personal activities to further relations between the two countries, both in her current role and also in her capacity as chairperson of the India-Israel Parliamentary Friendship Association. Liberman also noted the good meeting held between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier this week.

 

 

In their meeting, FM Liberman and External Affairs Minister Swaraj emphasized the solid foundation and close friendship between Israel and India and Minister Swaraj accepted FM Liberman's invitation to visit Israel during 2015.

 

 

The two ministers also discussed ways of strengthening cooperation between the two countries in various spheres, and it was agreed that the negotiations regarding the bilateral free trade agreement should be completed as soon as possible. The two also agreed on cooperation in the water sector, with emphasis on Israel's participation in the Ganges River project, and on the strengthening of cooperation in research and development, including the establishment of a new fund for research and industrial development, which will be allocated tens of millions of dollars.

 

 

FM Liberman told Minister Swaraj that he would be pleased if India would help Israel by serving as a bridge between itself and non-aligned countries, with the aim of cooperating with them on various practical issues such as agriculture, education and health.