New Delhi: Israel’s Ambassador to India, Reuven Azar, on Friday, welcomed the India-US trade deal, terming it a “very important development”, which opens more opportunities for economic cooperation.
In an exclusive interview with IANS, Azar said, “As you know, Israel is also very engaged with the American market. We get about 80 per cent of our foreign investments from the United States, and Israel is the biggest innovation hub outside the United States.”
“When the system opens, it creates more opportunities for Israeli, Indian, and US companies to work together,” he added.
India and Israel have already signed the terms of reference that will guide negotiations for a balanced, comprehensive free trade agreement.
India’s Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal and Israel’s Economy Minister Nir Barkat signed the terms of reference document in Tel Aviv in November 2025 to formally launch negotiations for a comprehensive pact to boost trade, investment, and cooperation in technology, defence, and agriculture.
The two countries will hold further negotiations to move ahead on the issue.
“India and Israel also signed a joint ministerial declaration of intent, in January this year, to strengthen bilateral cooperation in the field of fisheries and aquaculture recognising Israel’s advanced technologies and innovations in the sector and India’s vast aquatic resources,” according to an official statement issued on Thursday.
The agreement was signed during the visit of a high-level Indian delegation, led by the Union Fisheries Minister Rajiv Ranjan Singh, from January 13 to 15, 2026, to participate in the second global summit on “Blue Food Security: Sea the Future 2026” held at Eilat in Israel.
The joint declaration sets out a comprehensive framework for cooperation across multiple areas of mutual interest.
The key areas of collaboration include joint research and development in advanced aquaculture technologies such as Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS), biofloc, cage culture, aquaponics, and aquarium systems, including oceanarium, expertise in breeding high-yield species.
It also includes pathogen-free seed improvement strategies and broodstock development.
A significant component of the cooperation will be exploring the establishment of new India-Israel Centres of Excellence for Fisheries and Aquaculture, on the similar line of the successful network of 43 agricultural Centres of Excellence already operational under India-Israel collaboration.
(IANS)
