Press statement by Prime Minister during his visit to Israel

Published By : Admin | July 5, 2017 | 17:55 IST
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Your Excellency Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
Members of the media,

Thank you, Excellency, for your warm words of welcome. And, for the exceptional generosity with your time and friendship. I will truly cherish the most wonderful dinner that you and Mrs Netanyahu hosted for me yesterday. Our conversation last night, meeting Mrs Netanyahu, learning about your family especially what you told me about your father has taken my experience of your beautiful country to a whole new level. India admires the success of your people in overcoming adversity to advance, innovate and flourish against all odds. I am honoured to be in Israel on this extra-ordinary visit. In our modern journey, our paths have been different, but our belief in democratic values and economic progress has been a shared pursuit.

Friends,

This visit is an occasion:

  • to rejuvenate the bonds of our friendship;
  • to compose a new chapter in our ties; and
  • to jointly venture towards new horizons of engagement.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and I have had productive discussions covering an extensive menu of issues. Not just on areas of bilateral opportunities. But, also how our cooperation can help the cause of global peace and stability. Our goal is to build a relationship that reflects our shared priorities and draws on enduring bonds between our peoples.



Friends,

Israel is among the leading nations in the field of innovation, water and agricultural technology. These are also among my priority areas in India’s development. We agreed that efficiency of water and resource use; water conservation and its purification; productivity increases in agriculture are key areas in deepening our bilateral cooperation. We are of one view that together our scientists and researchers would develop, build and implement mutually beneficial solutions in the field. Our decision to establish a bilateral Technology Innovation Fund worth US$ 40 million for research in industrial development will help us in achieving this goal. We regard thriving two-way trade and investment flows as the bedrock of a strong partnership. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed on the need to do more in this direction. Businesses on both sides should take primary lead in such efforts. This would also be our message to the CEO Forum tomorrow.

Friends,

India and Israel live in complex geographies. We are aware of strategic threats to regional peace and stability. India has suffered firsthand the violence and hatred spread by terror. So has Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests and also cooperate to combat growing radicalization and terrorism, including in cyber space. We also discussed the situation in West Asia and wider region. It is India’s hope that peace, dialogue, and restraint will prevail.



Friends,

Our people hold natural affinity and warmth for each other. The Indian-origin Jewish community reminds us of these bonds. It also serves as a bridge to a shared future. In recent years, we have been receiving a large number of Israeli tourists in India. At the same time, more and more Indian students are choosing to pursue advance academics and research in your best universities. I am confident that the strength of these links, old and new, will hold us in good stead as we forge a partnership for the 21st century.

Friends,

Around 150 kilometers from here, there is a slice of history in the city of Haifa in Israel that is very dear to my country. This is the final resting place for forty-four of the Indian soldiers who sacrificed their lives during World War 1 to liberate that city. Tomorrow, I will travel to Haifa to pay homage to our brave Indian soldiers.



Excellency Netanyahu,

It has been a productive and memorable twenty-four hours in Israel. I am sure that the rest of my stay would be equally exciting. Let me also take this chance to invite you and Mrs. Netanyahu and your family to visit India. I again thank you for your warm welcome and hospitality.

Thank you.
Thank you very much. Shalom!

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Joint Statement on the visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Shri Narendra Modi to the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan
December 16, 2025

At the invitation of His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al Hussein of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Hon’ble Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Shri Narendra Modi visited the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan on December 15-16, 2025.

The Leaders acknowledged the fact that the visit of Prime Minister Modi is taking place at a significant time, as the two countries celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of bilateral diplomatic relations.

The Leaders appreciated the long-standing relationship between their countries which is characterized by mutual trust, warmth and goodwill. They positively assessed the multi-faceted India-Jordan relations that span across various areas of cooperation including political, economic, defence, security, culture, and education among others.

The Leaders appreciated the excellent cooperation between the two sides at the bilateral level and in multilateral forums. They warmly recalled their earlier meetings in New York (September 2019), in Riyadh (October 2019), in Dubai (December 2023) and in Italy (June 2024).

Political Relations

The Leaders held bilateral as well as expanded talks in Amman on 15 December 2025, where they discussed relations between India and Jordan. They also agreed to expand cooperation between the two countries in areas of mutual interest and to stand together as trusted partners in pursuing their respective development aspirations.

The Leaders noted with satisfaction the regular convening of political dialogue between the two countries as well as the meetings of the various Joint Working Groups in diverse areas. They further agreed to fully utilize the established mechanisms to consolidate bilateral relations. In this regard, the leaders commended the outcomes of the Fourth Round of Political Consultations between the two foreign ministries that was held in Amman on April 29, 2025. The fifth round will be held in New Delhi.

Looking forward, the Leaders reaffirmed their determination to sustain the positive trajectory of relations between the two countries, to promote high-level interactions, and continue to cooperate and collaborate with each other.

Economic Cooperation

The Leaders appreciated the strong bilateral trade engagement between India and Jordan, currently valued at USD 2.3 billion for 2024, making India the third largest trading partner for Jordan. They agreed on the need to diversify the trade basket to further enhance bilateral trade. The Leaders also agreed on the early convening of the 11th Trade and Economic Joint Committee in the first half of 2026, to monitor progress in economic and trade relations.

The Leaders welcomed the convening of the Jordan- India Business Forum on the sidelines of the visit on 16 December 2025. A high-level business delegation from the two countries discussed ways to further strengthen and expand trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.

The Leaders acknowledged the importance of cooperation in the field of customs. They further agreed to fully utilize the Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Administrative Assistance in Customs Matters. This agreement facilitates sharing of information to ensure proper application of Customs Laws and combating of customs offences. It also provides facilitation of trade by adopting simplified customs procedures for efficient clearance of goods traded between the two countries.

Both Leaders underlined the potential for enhanced economic cooperation between the two countries, taking into account Jordan’s strategic geographic location and advanced logistics capabilities. In this context, both sides reaffirmed the importance of strengthening transport and logistics connectivity, including the regional integration of Jordan’s transit and logistics infrastructure as a strategic opportunity to advance shared economic interests and private-sector collaboration.

Technology and Education

The two sides reviewed bilateral cooperation in the fields of digital technology and education and agreed to collaborate in various fields such as the capacity building of officials in digital transformation, promoting institutional cooperation for feasibility study in the implementation of Digital Transformational solutions and in other areas. They also agreed to explore further avenues of cooperation in the implementation of digital transformation initiatives of both the countries. The two sides expressed interest in expanding and upgrading the infrastructure and the capacity building programs of the India and Jordan Centre of Excellence in Information Technology, hosted at Al Hussein Technical University.

The two sides discussed the road map for collaboration in the field of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI). In this context, both sides welcomed the signing of a letter of intent for entering into an agreement on sharing of Indian experience of DPI. Both sides agreed to collaborate in ensuring a safe, secure, trusted and inclusive digital environment.

The two sides recognized the vital role of technology in education, economic growth and social development and agreed on continued collaboration in the areas of digital transformation, governance and capacity building.

The Indian side highlighted the important role of capacity building in sustainable development and expressed commitment to continue collaboration in this field through the Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation (ITEC) Programme in various fields including information technology, agriculture, and healthcare. The Jordanian side appreciated the increase of ITEC slots from 35 to 50 with effect from the current year.

Health

The Leaders underscored their commitment to working together in the field of healthcare through sharing of expertise, especially in advancing tele-medicine and capacity building in training of health workforce. They acknowledged the importance of health and pharmaceuticals as a key pillar of bilateral cooperation, underlining its role in promoting the well-being of their peoples and in advancing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Agriculture

The Leaders acknowledged the crucial role of the agricultural sector in advancing food security and nutrition and expressed a shared commitment to strengthening collaboration in this sector. In this context, they reviewed current cooperation between the two sides in the field of fertilizers, especially phosphates. They also agreed on increasing collaboration in exchange of technology and expertise to enhance the efficiency of agriculture and related sectors.

Water Cooperation

The Leaders welcomed the signing of the MoU on Cooperation in the field of Water Resources Management & Development and acknowledged the importance of cooperation between the two sides in areas such as water-saving agricultural technologies, capacity building, climate adaptation and planning and aquifer management.

Green and Sustainable Development

The Leaders discussed the importance of increasing collaboration in the field of climate change, environment, sustainable development and encouraging the use of new and renewable energy. In this context, they welcomed the signing of the MoU on Technical Cooperation in the field of New and Renewable Energy. Through the signing of this MoU, they agreed on the exchange and training of scientific and technical personnel, organization of workshops, seminars and working groups, transfer of equipment, know-how and technology on a non-commercial basis and development of joint research or technical projects on subjects of mutual interest.

Cultural Cooperation

The two sides expressed their appreciation for the growing cultural exchanges between India and Jordan, and welcomed the signing of the Cultural Exchange Programme for the period 2025–2029. They supported the idea of expanding cooperation in the fields of music, dance, theatre, art, archives, libraries and literature, and festivals. They also welcomed the signing of the Twinning Agreement between the City of Petra and Ellora Caves Site, focusing on the development of the archaeological sites and on promotion of social relations.

Connectivity

The two sides acknowledged the importance of direct connectivity in fostering bilateral relations. It is an important cornerstone for promotion of trade, investment, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges and helps in cultivating deeper mutual understanding. In this regard, they agreed to explore the possibility of enhancing direct connectivity between the two countries.

Multilateral Cooperation

His Majesty King Abdullah II praised India’s leadership in the International Solar Alliance (ISA) and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) and the Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA). India welcomed Jordan’s expression of willingness in joining the ISA, CDRI and GBA. The two sides recognized biofuels as a sustainable, low-carbon option to achieve decarbonization commitments and deliver greater economic and social development for the people of both countries.

At the end of the visit, Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi expressed his sincere thanks and appreciation to His Majesty King Abdullah II for the warm reception and generous hospitality extended to him and his accompanying delegation. He also conveyed his best wishes for the continued progress and prosperity of the friendly people of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. For his part, His Majesty extended his sincere wishes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the friendly people of India for further progress and prosperity.