New Delhi (AsiaNews/Agencies) – Narendra Modi will be the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel.
Addressing a press conference to recount the achievements of the External Affairs Ministry in the past year, India’s External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said that the PM’s “dates were not confirmed”, but that they were being “worked out.”
Sources told The Hindu the visit could happen this year, with a high-level Indian team travelling to Tel Aviv in July for discussions on several bilateral issues.
Ms Swaraj also said she would visit Israel, Palestine and Jordan later this year.
No Indian Prime Minister has visited Israel, despite India establishing full relations with the country more than two decades ago.
In 2000, under the previous National Democratic Alliance government, Jaswant Singh became the first Indian foreign minister to visit Israel.
In 2003, Ariel Sharon was the first Israeli prime minister to set foot in India.
Mr Modi also met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during his visit to New York for the United Nations General Assembly in 2014.
Trade between the two countries has grown substantially – from US$ 200 million in 1992 to about US$ 4.39 billion in 2013.
In 2013, India was Israel's 10th largest trade partner and Israel's third largest trade partner in Asia after China and Hong Kong.
Meanwhile Israel ambassador Daniel Carmon welcomed the announcement that Mr Modi was planning a visit.
“High level visits between both countries, as we have witnessed in the past months, are a natural ingredient of the tightening relationship between Israel and India,” he said.
“In this context, Israel will of course welcome any visits by PM Narendra Modi and FM Sushma Swaraj.”