Srinagar: An Israeli defence delegation visited the Indian Army’s Northern Command headquarters at Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, official sources said.
“An Israeli delegation led by Major General Yakov (Kobi) Barak called on the Northern Command’s General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Lt Gen Devraj Anbu to discuss matters of mutual interest,” an Army statement said.
Defense ties have long underpinned Indian-Israeli relations, but a string of deals signed this year reflected wider cooperation that could benefit Indian companies seeking advanced technologies and could pave the way for Israeli firms to access millions of consumers.
In July, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said India signed several agreements with Israel on science, agriculture and technology, as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the country, 25 years after both nations established diplomatic relations.
The agreements included the decision to create a bilateral technology innovation fund worth $40 million for research in industrial development, and to establish a strategic partnership.
A few months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, Indian Air Force fighters joined Israel and five Nato air forces in the so-called Blue Flag joint air force exercises. This was the first time that the Indian military publicly held such manoeuvres with their Israeli counterparts.
This year, comparisons were made between the Indian army and the Israeli army after Major Gogoi tied a voter in Kashmir’s Budgam area to his military jeep and used him as a human shield, which was heavily criticized by human rights groups. Major Gogoi was later rewarded.
