"Terrific milestone" to be celebrating Indian R-Day & 30 years of diplomatic ties in the same week: Israeli President

IndiaIsraelAt30, the Israeli president added.Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and other senior officials are likely to visit India this year, Israels Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, said on Monday during the virtual launch of a special logo to set in motion year-long celebrations to commemorate the occasion.

With India and Israel poised to celebrate 30 years of establishment of diplomatic relations this week, Israeli President Isaac Herzog on Wednesday congratulated India on its 73rd Republic Day, describing the two events being celebrated the same week as ''a terrific milestone''.

Several events are being planned to celebrate 30 years of establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Israel this week, which is likely to be followed by high-level exchange of visits and other commemorative events throughout the year. The two countries established diplomatic ties on January 29, 1992; though India recognised Israel much earlier on September 17, 1950.

''What a terrific milestone to celebrate India's #RepublicDay 73 and the 30th anniversary of Israel-India ties in the same week! My warmest congratulations to President @rashtrapatibhvn (Ram Nath Kovind) and the great people of India'', Herzog tweeted. ''Looking ahead to many more years of dynamic friendship. #IndiaIsraelAt30'', the Israeli president added.

Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett and other senior officials are likely to visit India this year, Israel's Ambassador to India, Naor Gilon, said on Monday during the virtual launch of a special logo to set in motion year-long celebrations to commemorate the occasion. ''I feel very lucky to be Israel's Ambassador in India when ''relations are exceptional'' and ''beyond regular'' - one of ''partnership between ancient civilisations'', Gilon said while launching the logo virtually in a webinar with his Indian counterpart in Tel Aviv, Ambassador Sanjeev Singla. The Israeli envoy in his speech highlighted ties going back thousands of years with no trace of anti-semitism in India, unlike in Europe and other parts of the world.

Recalling the recent visit of External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, Gilon mentioned India's role in shaping the region with soldiers participating in the World Wars and buried in different parts of Israel.

To further deepen cooperation in diverse areas, the Israeli envoy said that Israeli Prime Minister Bennett and other officials are likely to visit India as the two countries celebrate 30 years of establishment of diplomatic ties. During his visit, Jaishankar had extended an invitation to Bennett from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. ''This is an important occasion to reflect on our mutual successes as well as a good opportunity to look ahead and shape the next 30 years of our relations. I am sure that our close existing cooperation in different fields will only continue to grow and flourish in the coming years," Gilon stressed. Singla in his address said that 2022 also marks five years of bilateral strategic partnership which was established during the historic visit of Prime Minister Modi to Israel in 2017.

The year therefore provides an opportunity to not only look back and take account of the bilateral achievements of the past thirty years but also the past five years when the relationship was put on a ''qualitatively higher trajectory'', he said.

The Indian envoy also said that as we celebrate this milestone, it is also an opportunity to appreciate the efforts of our leaders, diplomats, thinkers, strategists and all the people who have led our partnership and continue to nurture this important relationship. ''Our two peoples are connected by civilisational bonds that go beyond trade and economic ties. The Jewish people have thrived in India for centuries and, in fact, enriched the composite culture of India'', Singla said. Addressing the Indian Jewish community in Israel, Singla said that they ''form the organic link, a bridge'' which ''continues to grow with shared traditions, cultural practices, mutual trust and friendship''. PTI HM IND AKJ IND

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