Israeli DM Makes First State Visit to India
JERUSALEM, Israel -- Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon is in India, marking the first state visit by an Israeli defense minister to that nation.
"The government of India is a true friend to Israel and sharing interests will benefit both countries as seen with our respective defense establishments, which enjoy an excellent relationship," the Israeli daily Israel Hayom quoted Ya'alon.
At Aero India 2015 in the city of Bamgalore, Ya'alon will meet with a number of Indian officials, including Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Ya'alon will take part in opening the Israeli pavilion at the defense industry exhibition.
"At the arms exhibition, we will get to enjoy the powerful Israeli defense industries, their unique quality and the fact that they are seen as the elite of the elite around the world," Ya'alon told reporters before his departure on Monday.
On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly last September, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met, the first such meeting in more than a decade.
The two leaders spoke about Islamic terrorism and the Iranian nuclear threat, agreeing that the two countries share historic ties.
"We are very excited by the prospects of greater and greater ties with India," Netanyahu told reporters, YNet reported. "We think the sky's the limit."
