Narendra Modi Diplomacy Game Level: Strong
The emergence of India-Israel relations is a stark example of exemplary diplomacy in the Narendra Modi government. The fact that the Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit comes in less than a month after India voted in UN, against US recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital tells us that Diplomacy is the key solution to a lot of international issues for the current government.
Netanyahu’s India visit brought to India voluminous trade and possibilities of an everlasting friendship with one of the strongest players in the Arab world.
Indo-Israel Collaboration
During the visit, India and Israel have inked 9 MoU’s for cooperation.
MoU's were signed in the field of co-operation on Cyber Security, Oil, and Gas sector, Air Transport Agreement, Film co-production, Homeopathic Medicine, Invest India and Invest in Israel.
Besides the MoU’s, a letter of intent between IOCL and Phinergy Ltd, IOCL, Yeda Research and Development Co. Ltd. have also been signed.
During the Indian PM Narendra Modi’s historic visit to Tel Aviv last year, the two nations had vowed to increase the bilateral trade to almost 20 billion by 2020.
Along with these collaborations, the two governments will also launch an R&D fund of about 40 million dollars to support business from both countries.
As per the agreement, the company will bear a 25 percent cost of the R&D and the government’s in collaboration will bear 50 percent of the cost.
“In the past 6 months we have had 60 times more query’s from Israeli companies about their venture and investments in India,” says Deepak Bagla, MD Invest India.
Further, Israel is now also looking to join hands with bodies like ASSOCHAM, CII, FICCI, and NASSCOM to nurture business in both the countries.
Ohad Cohen, Trade Commissioner & Director of Foreign Trade Administration, Ministry Of Commerce & Industry, Government of Israel said in an interview with BW Businessworld
“Both the countries have a lot to gain from each other. There are a lot of opportunities that exist for both the countries. So it is not a surprise that ever since the historic visit of your PM the two countries have shown such excitement for each other.”
Netanyahu had come to India with a business delegation of 130 people.
The business delegation which consisted of 100 companies, 20 start-ups and 30 government officials from the economic arena, aims to collaborate with Indian companies.
Indian PM Modi was the first Indian PM to ever visit the Jewish state last year in July and give a new dimension to the Indo-Israel relationship.
Bilateral trade with Israel currently stands at 5.04 billion except co-operation in the Defence sector. And it is increasing at a rate of 2.3 percent.
Modi Diplomacy:
Post the Israeli PM visit, Modi will now be travelling to Palestine on Feb 10. The visit is touted to be a part of the Indian PM’s Strategy to strengthen his outreach to the Arab world. Modi is set to have a meeting with the Palestine President Mahmoud Abbas.
Now what is noteworthy here is that this is the first visit of an Indian PM to the state of Palestine.
A diplomatic source told BW that this visit is the most important in the Arab countries calendar.
Be it the aversion of a potential war with China or being on a firm stand on the two-state solution for Israel-Palestine conflict, PM Modi seems to be playing all his diplomatic cards right.
