Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Nitin Gadkari has underscored the urgent need for India and Israel to enhance cooperation in combating the menace of terrorism and further promoting joint ventures in the field of agriculture, water management, irrigation, dairy products and other agro-based industries.
Gadkari, who is on a six-day goodwill visit to Israel along with a BJP delegation, said the Indian states facing the Maoist and Naxal violence could benefit from the Israeli homeland security systems which have very advanced technology and sophisticated equipment.
Speaking after the presentations given by the homeland security services organizations, Gadkari said he has advised these homeland security services to organize special presentations in India for the states of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar which are facing the challenge of Maoist and Naxal violence.
The BJP president is accompanied by Vasundhra Raje Scindia, former Rajasthan Chief Minister and now a Party General Secretary, Ramlal, Party General Secretary in charge of organization, O.P. Dhankar, Satpal Malik, Manvendra Singh & Subhash Deshmukh (all former members of parliament) and Vijay Jolly, in charge of BJP foreign Cell.
Speaking at a reception hosted in his honour by the Israel-India Friendship Association and the Marathi Jewish Community in Israel, Gadkari said his goodwill visit was aimed at promoting political level dialogue as well as people to contact between the two countries.
He said the friendly relations between India and Israel have been making steady progress and the two countries have expanded the areas of mutual cooperation in various fields including the high technology.
During the last two days, the BJP president has visited some joint venture research and development projects in homeland security, agriculture, water management and irrigation.
Several delegations of Israeli trade and industry have also called on Gadkari evincing keen interest in joint ventures in the field of agro-based industries, water management, dairy products and irrigation facilities in the BJP ruled states.
Gadkari is scheduled to have meetings with political leadership of Israel and an interaction with the Israel-India Parliamentary Friendship League tomorrow.
India and Israel have a Joint Working Group on counter-terrorism that meets periodically to review the situation in the two regions and to share strategies to counter-terrorist moves.
The two countries are also at an advance stage of concluding a formal free trade agreement for a two way arrangement that would give Indian companies access to the Israeli high technology sector and Israel access to Indian domestic market.