Kailash Kumar
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Netanyahu expected to make second India visit as arms deals proliferate: report
01/29/2019
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) shakes hands with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference in Jerusalem on July 5, 2017
Israel sells an average of $1 billion of military equipment to India each year
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly looking to make another visit to India in the second week of February as the two countries celebrate 27 years of diplomatic relations Tuesday.
Netanyahu made a historic visit to India about one year ago, becoming just the second Israeli prime minister to visit, with Ariel Sharon being the first in 2003.
Netanyahu’s National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat recently returned from his trip to New Delhi, where he met with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as other key defense establishment officials.
Ben-Shabbat flew from Israel with Air India, crossing over Saudi airspace following the agreement reached for the abbreviated flight path that first took off in March of last year.
The meeting focused on "discussions regarding relations between the two countries, promoting security deals, as well as agreements on additional actions to promote security, technological and socioeconomical cooperation between Israel and India," The Prime Minister's Bureau said of the visit.
During the visit, Netanyahu and Modi spoke on the phone and planned a second meeting, according to Haaretz, as the two leaders are apparently preparing to cement another security deal.
The two countries relations have strengthened in light of significant arms deals that saw the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) recently win a $777 million contract to supply India's navy with a maritime version of its Barak 8 air and missile defense system.
In April 2017, Israel won 1.6 billion euros of orders from India, which it hailed as its largest ever arms export deal.
As the two countries honor their relations, Israel announced the appointment of its new Ambassador to India and Sri Lanka Ron Malka, who served for part of his 25 years in the army as a financial consultant to the Chief of Staff.
Netanyahu's previous visit brought a deal to purchase anti-tank Spike missiles from the Rafael company, recently delayed according to Haaretz. He also visited the Jewish center targeted in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Israel is among the world's top arms dealers, with nearly 60 percent of its defense exports going to the Asia-Pacific region, according to Israeli defense ministry figures.
India, which has longstanding territorial disputes with neighbors China and Pakistan, has signed several big-ticket defense deals since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014.
Israel sells an average of $1 billion of military equipment to India each year, but Russia is still by far India's largest arms supplier.
Before the end of 2018, President Vladimir Putin won an order for the S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system worth $5.2 billion.
But as the United States has imposed sanctions on countries buying Russian military hardware, India has sought to diversify its suppliers.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/inte...-india-visit-as-arms-deals-proliferate-report
01/29/2019
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) shakes hands with Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during a press conference in Jerusalem on July 5, 2017
Israel sells an average of $1 billion of military equipment to India each year
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is reportedly looking to make another visit to India in the second week of February as the two countries celebrate 27 years of diplomatic relations Tuesday.
Netanyahu made a historic visit to India about one year ago, becoming just the second Israeli prime minister to visit, with Ariel Sharon being the first in 2003.
Netanyahu’s National Security Adviser Meir Ben-Shabbat recently returned from his trip to New Delhi, where he met with his Indian counterpart Ajit Doval, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as well as other key defense establishment officials.
Ben-Shabbat flew from Israel with Air India, crossing over Saudi airspace following the agreement reached for the abbreviated flight path that first took off in March of last year.
The meeting focused on "discussions regarding relations between the two countries, promoting security deals, as well as agreements on additional actions to promote security, technological and socioeconomical cooperation between Israel and India," The Prime Minister's Bureau said of the visit.
During the visit, Netanyahu and Modi spoke on the phone and planned a second meeting, according to Haaretz, as the two leaders are apparently preparing to cement another security deal.
The two countries relations have strengthened in light of significant arms deals that saw the state-owned Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) recently win a $777 million contract to supply India's navy with a maritime version of its Barak 8 air and missile defense system.
In April 2017, Israel won 1.6 billion euros of orders from India, which it hailed as its largest ever arms export deal.
As the two countries honor their relations, Israel announced the appointment of its new Ambassador to India and Sri Lanka Ron Malka, who served for part of his 25 years in the army as a financial consultant to the Chief of Staff.
Netanyahu's previous visit brought a deal to purchase anti-tank Spike missiles from the Rafael company, recently delayed according to Haaretz. He also visited the Jewish center targeted in the 2008 Mumbai attacks.
Israel is among the world's top arms dealers, with nearly 60 percent of its defense exports going to the Asia-Pacific region, according to Israeli defense ministry figures.
India, which has longstanding territorial disputes with neighbors China and Pakistan, has signed several big-ticket defense deals since Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power in 2014.
Israel sells an average of $1 billion of military equipment to India each year, but Russia is still by far India's largest arms supplier.
Before the end of 2018, President Vladimir Putin won an order for the S-400 surface-to-air missile defense system worth $5.2 billion.
But as the United States has imposed sanctions on countries buying Russian military hardware, India has sought to diversify its suppliers.
https://www.i24news.tv/en/news/inte...-india-visit-as-arms-deals-proliferate-report
