Israeli President Reuven Rivlin began an eight-day visit to India starting Monday, arriving in Mumbai. Before heading to Delhi later in the day, the president visited the sites of 2008 Mumbai terror attacks in the city to his respects. Six Jews were killed in the incident on November 26, 2008.
He said Israel was was proud to “stand with India in its defence of the values of democracy”. He pledged full support to New Delhi’s fight against terror. “Terror is terror, whoever carries it out and whoever are its victims. And we all have the duty to condemn in our words, and fight with our deeds against this terrible evil,” Rivlin said.
The president said the friendship between the two countries was not a relationship “we should be hiding”. “Israel is proud of our friendship with India and I believe that India is proud of its friendship with Israel,” he said. “Again, this is not just a friendship of leaders and governments. It is a friendship between people in all walks of life, in all fields of study, in all areas of trade.”
The two countries do not agree on the topic of Palestine and its independence, with India supporting the cause of an independent Palestine with east Jerusalem as its Capital. Rivlin said, “Friends may not always see eye to eye on everything, and as friends we can agree to disagree with respect and understanding.”
Rivlin will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, among other senior leaders of the government. He will also travel to Chandigarh where he will share stage with President Pranab Mukherjee at an agrotech conference.
A large delegation of businessmen and academics are travelling with the president. A long-pending Free Trade Agreement, and separate deals with Indian educational institutions are also on the cards. “Importantly, this visit will focus on three areas of this cooperation, namely agriculture, water and education. These three areas in particular highlight what our two great nations are engaged in sowing the seeds for the future,” Rivlin said.
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