Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will arrive here on Sunday on a six-day visit during which both the strategic partners will aim to further expand ties on a range of key areas including defence and trade besides deliberating on Israel-Palestine relationship. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited the Jewish state in July last year, becoming the first Indian premier to do so.
Israeli PM Netanyahu is the second Prime Minister from his country after Ariel Sharon to visit India in the last 25 years. He is accompanied by a 130-member delegation from various sectors including cyber, agriculture and defence.
PM Modi and his Israeli counterpart Netanyahu on Sunday will attend a solemn ceremony at the Teen Murti Memorial here in New Delhi to mark the formal renaming of Teen Murti Chowk and Teen Murti Marg after Israeli city Haifa. The two leaders will also lay a wreath and sign the visitor’s book at the memorial, official sources said.
PM Modi will host a private dinner for Netanyahu on Sunday. PM Netanyahu will call on External Affairs Minister (EAM) Sushma Swaraj, later on the same day.
On Monday, he will be given a ceremonial reception at the Rashtrapati Bhawan following which he would lay a wreath at Rajghat.
He would then participate in a dialogue at Hyderabad House which will also include a one-on-one discussion with Modi.
PM Modi will hold talks with his Israeli counterpart on Monday covering entire expanse of the ties and explore new areas of cooperation to further deepen the “very very special relationship”. After the signing of agreements, they will issue a joint press statement.
Israeli PM Netanyahu will call on President Ram Nath Kovind and Vice President Venkaiah Naidu later on Monday.
Netanyahu and his wife Sara are slated to visit Agra on Tuesday to see Taj Mahal following which he will leave for Delhi and participate in the Raisina Dialogue. He will deliver an inaugural speech here.
Accompanied by PM Modi, Netanyahu will visit Gujarat on Wednesday (the fourth day of his visit). He will go to Sabarmati Ashram in Ahmedabad. He is slated to attend an event at the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate).
Netanyahu would be arriving in Mumbai on Wednesday in the evening where he would be meeting with the Indian Jewish community.
A packed schedule on Thursday for the Israeli premier in Mumbai would include a “power breakfast” with Indian business leaders, a business seminar, attending two memorial services for the victims of the 26/11 attack at the Taj hotel and Nariman House and finally a gala event with Bollywood actors.
(With PTI inputs)