A 6-member delegation of Hindu Nationalist Party BJP along with BJP President Mr. Nitin Gadkari were in Israel on a goodwill visit of a week.
Press release : BJP President, Shri Nitin Gadkari calls for promoting political level contact with Israel http://www.bjp.org/content/view/3743/394/India and Israel need to enhance political level dialogue and promote people-to-people contact between the two countries with a view to further cementing their bilateral ties in a wide range of areas of mutual interest.
A broad consensus to this effect emerged at a series of meetings the visiting BJP president Nitin Gadkari had with leaders of the ruling as well as the opposition parties of Israel during the course of his current goodwill visit here.
Mr. Gadkari, who is accompanied by a delegation of senior BJP leaders, met the leader of the opposition in Israeli Knesset (parliament) and former Foreign Affairs Minister, Ms. Tzipi Livni and head of the Parliamentary India-Israel Group, Ms. Rachel Adatto, both belonging to the principal opposition Kadima Party.
The BJP president and his delegation had met the leader of the ruling Likud Party and the Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Dan Meridor yesterday.
The last high level political contact was in 2003 when the then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon paid an official visit to India.
Mr. Gadkari said Prime Minister Sharon was accorded a warm welcome by the then NDA Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had hoped that the visit would pave the way for further consolidation of the bilateral ties.
The BJP president said his party has always accorded high priority to promoting bilateral relations between the two countries at all levels.
The BJP delegation includes the former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje, party general secretary (organization) Ramlal, former MPs Satpal Malik, Manvendra Singh, Subhash Deshmukh, Party Kisan Morcha chief O. P. Dhankar and in charge of the BJP foreign cell Vijay Jolly.
Mr. Gadkari is having a hectic schedule here visiting several research and development joint ventures of mutual interest in the field of fisheries, food processing, dairy industries and agro-tech industries.
During his interaction with the experts in these fields, the BJP leader evinced keen interest in the Israeli technology for quality seeds which play an important role in determining yield level and in turn augmentation in the level of crop production.
Speaking at a reception last night, Mr. Gadkari told Israeli entrepreneurs that India has emerged as a land of opportunities for investments in the field of infrastructure, Information Technology, health services, pharmaceuticals and agro-tech industries. "We are promoting research and development joint ventures and collaborations in these sectors in all the NDA ruled states", the BJP President said.
A large number of Israeli entrepreneurs were present at the reception hosted by Reena Pushkarna, a leading promoter of Indo-Israeli relations.
Press release : Israeli Parliament welcomes BJP President, Shri Nitin Gadkari http://www.bjp.org/content/view/3739/394/Jerusalem, Dec 16 : The Israeli Knesset (Parliament) today welcomed the visiting BJP President Nitin Gadkari when he arrived in the distinguished visitors gallery along with his party delegation.
The Speaker welcomed the BJP President and his party delegation to the Israeli Knesset and he was joined by Treasury as well as the Opposition benches who applauded Mr. Gadkari with thumping of desks.
Later, the Israeli Deputy Prime Minister, Mr. Dan Meridor MK, told Mr. Gadkari that the rules of procedure prohibit applauding any visiting dignitary in the House. But members of the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) belonging to all political parties set aside the rules and greeted the BJP delegation with thumping of desks because of the strong friendly Indo-Israeli relations.Netanyahu reaffirms support to India in its fight against terrorismhttp://www.bjp.org/content/view/3750/394/Jerusalem :
The Israeli Prime Minister, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu, today reaffirmed his government's commitment to promote Indo-Israel cooperation in fighting terrorism in all its manifestations. Mr. Netanyahu told the visiting BJP President, Mr. Nitin Gadkari that Israel shared India's security concerns and was cooperating with New Delhi in this regard.
The Israeli Prime Minister spoke to Mr. Gadkari over phone and thanked him for visiting Israel at the invitation of his government.
Mr. Gadkari appreciated the warm welcome extended to him and his party delegation by the Israeli government and reiterated the BJP's strong commitment to friendly relations with Israel.
The BJP President apprised Mr. Netanyahu of the research and development projects he had visited in the fields of homeland security, agro-tech industries, including fisheries, irrigation, water management etc.
Mr. Gadkari assured the Israeli Prime Minister that he would explore the opportunities for collaborative research and development and training in these areas in respective institutions of the two countries, particularly in the NDA ruled states. The BJP President on a six-day goodwill visit is accompanied by a party delegation including former Rajasthan Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje and party general secretary in charge of organization Shri Ramlal.
Mr. Gadkari also met the governor of Israeli Central Bank Stanley Fischer and explored the trade potential between the two countries in untapped areas.
Diamonds constituted about 41.9 % of the bilateral trade in the year 2009. Other major export items from India to Israel during the year 2009 were diamonds, plants and vegetable products, textiles and textile articles, base metals and machinery.
Major items exported by Israel to India were mineral products, diamonds, base metals, machinery, transport equipment and telecom and software products and services.
According to figures available from the department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, Government of India, FDI inflows from Israel to India from April 2000 to April 2010 totalled US $ 51.87 million. Many Israeli companies also invest in India through the US and Europe.
Topic: BJP in Israel: Committed to strong ties with Israel at all levels (Read 1225 times)