President Reuven & First Lady Nechama Rivlin this evening (Wednesday) hosted, at the President's Residence, a celebratory state dinner in honor of the visit of Indian President Pranab Mukherjee, with the attendance Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu MK and Mrs. Sara Netanyahu.

At the beginning of his speech President Rivlin spoke of the journey upon which both countries had embarked toward independence as democratic states. He said, "We established our independence here in our homeland, Israel, just a few years after one third of our nation was massacred in Europe - while you in India established your independence following many years under the rule of a foreign power. Israel and India managed to survive the journey to democracy, in spite of the great difficulties - internal and external challenges."

President Rivlin added that he was happy to accept President Mukherjee's invitation to visit India, he said, "I will be delighted to accept, and look forward to working together, to strengthen the friendship between our countries. We regard this current visit as an opportunity. The many achievements of the relations between our two countries so far are very impressive, but we are still far from realizing the full potential of those relations. India is a model for us, and for the whole world, of a democratic nation state where a number of different ethnic, religious, and language groups live side by side. As both a man of action, and a man of the spirit, you have contributed a lot to the economic development and to the security of India, as well as to the strong relations between Israel and India."

President Mukherjee thanked the President warmly for his welcome and hospitality and said. "I have the opportunity to visit at a time when our relations can be classified as excellent. I see a very promising future in the bilateral relations between our countries. We have the opportunity to expand and strengthen the cooperation between us in a range of fields, including science, innovation, and more."

President Mukherjee stressed, "The challenges of the 21st century have been rapidly unfolding before us, and our future generations will have to deal with a variety of these including the globalization of extremism, the impact of climate change, and the scarcity of water. Democracies will have to respond to the increasing diversity, and plurality in their social fabric. The international community must work together now, with wisdom, to create tolerance and understanding in order to address the complex issues confronting mankind."

President Mukherjee concluded by reiterating his invitation to President Rivlin to visit India, and noted he was delighted to receive his positive response. He concluded, "I take the opportunity to repeat again my invitation, and am excited to accept your positive response."