DATE=7/3/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=INDIA/ISRAEL (L-O) CQ
NUMBER=2-264016
BYLINE=ANJANA PASRICHA
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
INTRO: The first visit to Israel by India's Foreign
Minster is highlighting the growing political and
defense ties between the two countries. Anjana
Pasricha reports from New Delhi that Jaswant Singh is
to wrap up his four-day Israel visit Tuesaday.
TEXT: During Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh's visit,
India and Israel decided to set up a joint commission
to combat terrorism. The foreign ministers of the two
countries say intensified cooperation will range from
areas such as counter terrorism to information
technology.
Mr. Singh is the second senior Indian minister to
visit Israel in recent weeks. Home Minister Lal
Krishna Advani had a first-hand look at Israel's
security systems during a tour of its northern borders
last month. A number of high-level military
delegations from New Delhi have also visited Israel
during the past year.
India established diplomatic links with Israel in
1992, but shared strategic interests have brought the
two countries close in the past decade. Cooperation
in defense and counter-terrorism are at the center of
their emerging relationship.
Political analyst, C. Raja Mohan, says India is eager
to benefit from Israel's experience in handling
terrorism in order to deal with the situation in its
own region.
/// INSERT RAJA MOHAN ACT ///
The kind of thing India is looking for is how to
effectively control its own borders, because of
the threat of cross-border terrorism from
Pakistan. Since Israel has done well in this
field there are a lot of technologies which
Israel can trade with India, and the two sides
are finding it useful to cooperate in that area.
/// END RAJA MOHAN ACT ///
Indian newspaper reports say Israel has become India's
second-largest defense partner after Russia.
Israel is selling sophisticated radar equipment to
India - and has denied reports that the United States
is trying to stop the sale. Israel is also involved
in upgrading Indian fighter aircraft and other weapons
systems. It will help to strengthen Indian defenses
on the Kashmir border.
Israel is eager to win greater leverage in South Asia
as it fears that Pakistan could transfer nuclear
weapons technology to the Arab world.
The relationship is not restricted to defense ties
alone. Trade between the two countries increased by
about 50-percent last year, touching nearly one-
billion-dollars.
Meanwhile, New Delhi has stressed that its growing
relationship with Israel will not jeopardize its
traditional friendship with others in the Mideast.
(SIGNED)
NEB/AP/RAE
03-Jul-2000 10:44 AM EDT (03-Jul-2000 1444 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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