India and Israel sign 16 cooperation agreements! Modi: "Firmly" stand with Israel! Netanyahu: Build an "Iron Axis" with India

According to CCTV News, on the 26th local time, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who is visiting Israel, jointly issued a statement with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and witnessed the signing of 16 cooperation agreements related to bilateral relations. Modi announced during the ceremony that the India-Israel relationship has been officially upgraded to a “Special Strategic Partnership.”

According to information released by both sides, the agreements include cooperation in emerging technology fields such as artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and critical minerals. They will also promote the establishment of an agricultural research and innovation center in India, as well as training, expert exchanges, and academic cooperation. The agreements also cover agricultural technology innovation, civil drone usage, satellite data sharing, irrigation and fertilization management, pest control, and greenhouse cultivation.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Israel on the 25th to begin a two-day visit. This is Modi’s second visit to Israel since taking office in 2014.

According to AFP, citing AFP on February 25, Modi emphasized in Jerusalem that India “firmly” supports Israel and expressed condolences for “every life lost” in Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023.

While speaking at the Israeli Parliament, Modi said, “We feel your pain, and we share your sorrow. India will stand firmly with Israel, with complete conviction, now and in the future. No reason can justify the killing of civilians.”

In his speech on the 25th, Modi did not mention the fate of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. He bypassed the Palestinian issue and only stated that India will “firmly support a just and lasting peace for all people in the region.”

According to AFP on February 25, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, speaking at the Israeli Parliament, reaffirmed the alliance between Israel and India and expressed the intention to establish an “Iron Axis” with India. A special session was convened in the Israeli Parliament specifically for Modi’s visit.

“We will forge an Iron Axis, composed of nations that regard life as sacred. We will fight to the end against those who glorify death and seek to revert to medieval barbarism,” Netanyahu first welcomed Modi in English, then delivered the above speech in Hebrew.

Netanyahu emphasized the “many common interests” between the two countries and thanked Modi for “firmly standing with Israel” after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023.

He also expressed hope to deepen diplomatic relations in security, as well as in economic, scientific, technological, and space cooperation.

(Source: Daily Economic News)