Israeli Foreign Minister Eli Cohen arrived in India on his first official visit which will last for three days. During his stay, he plans to explore ways to expand bilateral ties between Israel and India.
Cohen will meet with his Indian counterpart, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar, to discuss various areas of engagement between the two countries, including strategic affairs and trade. The visit is the third high-level visit by senior Israeli officials in less than three months, and Cohen will be accompanied by a business delegation.
Cohen’s visit is also set to prepare the ground for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s trip to India later this year. In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited Netanyahu to visit India at an early date. Netanyahu’s visit to India in 2019 was called off due to scheduling issues, but both sides are working on a plan for his visit to India in 2021. Cohen’s visit is a positive step towards strengthening the multifaceted partnership between Israel and India.
It is worth noting that Cohen will be accompanied by a group of business officials. According to PTI, his visit is aimed at laying the groundwork for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s upcoming visit to India later this year. In January, Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended an invitation to Netanyahu to visit India soon. However, Netanyahu’s previous visit to India in 2019 was canceled due to scheduling conflicts. PTI reported that plans were underway for his visit to India in 2021, but it couldn’t take place as he was ousted from power in June of that year.