Israel seeking cooperation with India in agriculture, water security

Israel is seeking cooperation with India in various sectors, including agriculture, finance and water security, Israel's envoy to India Col Ron Malka said on Friday. Noting that India and Israel share a "special chemistry", Malka said both the countries want to see a better and stable world and India as the largest democracy acts as an important factor in stabilising the world.

"We are looking to invest more and more in innovation and India is an ideal partner because it understands the importance of innovation," he said. "It is being said sky is the limit but the scope of cooperation between India and Israel is limitless," he said.

He listed out areas of cooperation between India and Israel, including agriculture, finance and water security. In agriculture sector, Israel trained farmers in centres of excellence in latest cutting-edge technologies but now Israel is moving towards the second stage of creating 15 "villages of excellence" and bringing cutting-edge technologies to the villages with "precision agriculture".

"We use satellites, drones to know the exact amount of fertiliser and nutrition farms need," he said, delivering a lecture on "India-Israel Relations: Steady Partners in an Unsteady World". Malka said another area of bilateral cooperation can be water and food security.

He said another field of cooperation is the financial market. "There can be engagement between Tel Aviv stock market and Bombay Stock Exchange," he said.

Answering a question on whether India can act as an interlocutor between Israel and Iran, Malka said the Iranian regime must be stopped and whatever help is available is welcome.