JERUSALEM, Feb. 26 (Xinhua) -- Israel and India agreed on Thursday to elevate their bilateral ties, signing 16 agreements and memorandums of understanding to expand cooperation in defense, advanced technologies, and labor mobility, read a joint statement.
The deals were announced following a meeting in Jerusalem between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, who concluded his two-day visit to Israel on Thursday.
The two leaders framed the agreements as part of a "special strategic partnership for peace, innovation and prosperity."
In the technology sector, the two sides pledged deeper collaboration in artificial intelligence (AI), cybersecurity, semiconductors, quantum computing and space. They signed a new memorandum on AI cooperation and agreed to increase joint research funding from 1 million U.S. dollars to 1.5 million dollars each under the India-Israel Joint Research Calls framework.
The countries also agreed to establish an India-Israel Centre of Excellence in Cybersecurity in India and develop a multi-year strategic program to strengthen cyber cooperation, including joint exercises and capacity building.
On trade, the leaders reaffirmed their commitment to advancing negotiations on a free trade agreement and welcomed a bilateral investment agreement signed in 2025. They also agreed to explore linking India's Unified Payments Interface with Israel's fast payment system to facilitate cross-border transactions.
Addressing labor shortages in Israel, the statement said that up to 50,000 additional Indian workers may arrive in Israel over the next five years, expanding existing agreements in construction and caregiving to include commerce, manufacturing, and restaurants.
The leaders highlighted growing defense cooperation and set a "vision and roadmap for future defense cooperation," the statement said, without detailing specific projects or arms deals.
The statement said the upgraded partnership aims to integrate defense, innovation and economic cooperation as part of a broader strategic alignment between the two countries. ■
