ISRAEL PM’S INDIA VISIT TO BE RESCHEDULED AFTER HE TESTS COVID POSITIVE

Tue 29 March 2022:

The visit of Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett to India has been postponed and will be rescheduled, Muhamed Heib, spokesperson of the Israel Embassy in India said today.

On Monday, it was reported that Naftali Bennett had tested positive for COVID-19.

Israel had earlier announced Mr Bennett’s first India visit after assuming office as Prime Minister last year.

Mr Bennett was scheduled to visit India during April 3-5, on the occasion of the commemoration of 30 years of diplomatic relations between India and Israel, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in an official statement.

Mr Bennett had planned to visit India from April 3-5 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) had said in the official statement.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart had earlier met on the sidelines of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in Glasgow in November last year. They also had a telephonic conversation on August 16, 2021.

India and Israel elevated their bilateral relationship to a strategic partnership during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Israel in July 2017.

Since then, the two countries have continued to deepen their strategic partnership, with a focus on innovation and research, read the statement.

“The visit by the Prime Minister of Israel is expected to further strengthen our excellent bilateral cooperation in diverse areas, including agriculture, water, trade, education and science and technology,” the statement had said.