M A I N   N E W S

India-Israel joint panel to boost ties

JERUSALEM, July 2 (PTI) — Giving a new dimension to bilateral ties, India and Israel today decided to set up a joint ministerial commission to look into the entire gamut of cooperation between the two countries and further institutionalise measures on counter-terrorism.

“We have agreed to establish a joint ministerial commission and the details will be worked out. The commission will meet alternatively twice a year in the capitals of the two countries,” External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh told reporters after a meeting with his Israeli counterpart David Levy here.

Mr Jaswant Singh said the two countries had decided to give a “functional mechanism” to dialogue on counter-terrorism, dates for which would be decided soon. His remarks on counter-terrorism assume significance in the wake of the visit of Home Minister L.K. Advani to Israel early last month when he discussed with Israeli leaders and experts ways and means to counter terrorism in India. 

Stating that there was a great scope for the promotion of infotech and software cooperation between the two countries, Mr Jaswant Singh said his ministry would take necessary action so that all regulatory rules and other bureaucratic requirements were met within a specific timeframe. He said with the appointment of a new National Security Adviser by Tel Aviv, the next round of dialogue between the National Security Councils of the two countries would take place in New Delhi and dates for this would be finalised soon.

He said he had also repeated the invitation to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak to visit New Delhi and also invited Mr Levy to pay a visit to India.

Mr Jaswant Singh said President K.R. Narayanan would also be paying an official visit to Israel early next year, dates for which would be finalised soon.