Israel assisting India in its security needs: Envoy

Lalit K Jha
Washington, Mar 1 (PTI) Describing as dynamic its
relationship with India, Israel has said that it has been of
assistance to New Delhi in its security needs.
"There is a defence relationship with India. Not only
there is defence relationship, Israel has been and is of
assistance to India in its security needs. We are proud of
being there," Israeli Ambassador to New Delhi, Mark Sofer,
told a group of Indian journalists here.
However, Sofer refused to divulge further details about
India-Israel defence ties, at a luncheon hosted by the
US-based 'The Israel Project', which has now started its India
programmes.
"I am not going to say anything on the figures and the
projects that are on the table," the Israeli Ambassador said.
Sofer identified India and Israel as the two countries
who viewed the world with very similar eyes.
"We often feel that some of the problems that we are
facing are mutual to us both. This was felt by both of us in
Mumbai atrocities of 2008," he said referring to the terrorist
attacks by the Pakistan-based LeT.
"Also our society is free and democratic and perhaps (it
is) an island in non-democratic oceans," he said, adding that
Israel has one of its most dynamic relationships with India.
Sofer cited experts to say that the Indo-Israel trade
will triple within four years once a bilateral free trade
agreement is signed.
"That would bring us to trading about USD 15 billion;
which will be of the same size of that with the European
Union," he said. PTI LKJ
HMI