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Planned
FTA Can Triple
Two-Way Trade
in Three Years
Farm Sector Cooperation
Boosts Indo-Israeli
Ties
By H.E
Mark Sofer, Ambassador
of Israel to India
The dynamics of
the bilateral
relationship between
Israel and India,
perhaps especially
in the economic
sphere have few
parallels indeed
in contemporary
international
relations. In
the 17 years since
the establishment
of full diplomatic
relations, mutual
civilian trade
has risen over
twenty-fold and
has topped USD4
billion. Two-way
investment, too,
has reached billions
of dollars and
should we be able
to further the
proposed Free
Trade Agreement
between India
and Israel, these
figures may well
triple themselves
within 3-4 years.
Economic relations
between our two
countries involve
almost all sectors
of activity, including
IT, Software,
Defence, Homeland
Security, Healthcare
and much, much
more.
At the heart of
the economic ties
between Israel
and India lies
the growing agricultural
cooperation between
our two countries
which, since the
signing of the
Memorandum of
Understanding
between our respective
Ministers of Agriculture
in 2008, has undergone
a metamorphosis.
Six excellence
centres, covering
production of
vegetables and
fruit using ultra-modern
technologies,
are in advanced
stages of planning
and construction
in Haryana and
Maharashtra and
new projects for
the use of saline
water and drip
irrigation are
progressing in
Gujarat and Rajasthan.
Indeed, it is
the growing scarcity
of water that
presents a serious
challenge to world
food production,
especially in
a country such
as India with
700 million people
dependent on agriculture
for their daily
lives. The growing
cooperation between
Israel and India
in the field of
water management
and technologies
is of paramount
importance to
our two populations.
Underlying all
of this cooperation
lies the mutual
capacity to develop,
absorb and implement
state-of-the-art
innovation which
will increase
production levels
at appreciably
lower cost to
the farmer and
the consumer.
Indian-Israeli
relations will
undoubtedly continue
to flourish, not
least due to the
depth of good-will
existing among
Indians and Israelis
towards each other.
Indeed, the warmth
that we feel from
vast sectors of
the Indian society
towards Israel,
and the wish for
cooperation in
those sectors
in which Israel
is among the world's
leaders, including
agriculture, hi-tech,
information technology
and medical innovation
is only matched
by the awe and
admiration felt
by all Israelis
for Indian culture,
history, capabilities
and striving for
betterment.
The shared values
of democracy,
rule of law, freedom
of the individual,
self-improvement
and mutual respect
truly augur well
for the future
of the Indo-Israel
relationship,
and we can look
to the future
with a sense of
true optimism.
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