New Delhi, Sep 13 (IANS) Israel's Consul General to Midwest India, Yaniv Revach, has praised India's pragmatic approach to global diplomacy, saying its participation in forums such as BRICS reflects the country's growing influence and ability to maintain a strategic balance while pursuing cooperation with diverse partners.
Speaking exclusively to IANS, Revach said India's presence in BRICS provides a "fantastic opportunity" for New Delhi to strengthen its global role while maintaining strong strategic ties with countries such as Israel and the UAE.
"I think it is very important that India, as a global power, is part of different international forums like BRICS. India is trying to maintain a balance and is very practical when it comes to promoting cooperation through these platforms. So, first of all, it is a fantastic opportunity for India. And second, when it comes to India and Israel, I want to say something. First of all, India is part of BRICS with countries like Iran. At the same time, India is still trying to maintain a balance and continue to promote very strong strategic cooperation with countries like Israel and the UAE..." he stated.
Highlighting the strength of India-Israel ties, Revach said the two countries have continued to deepen cooperation across several sectors following Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel in February.
“Now, when it comes to Israel and the UAE specifically, I can say, you know, after the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Israel in February, we signed more than seventeen different memorandum of agreements…agriculture, cyber technology, water cooperation, culture, defense, etc. When it comes to agriculture and water, we continue to promote different excellent centers here in India. We try to bring the Israeli technology, and when we combine it with the Indian scale, it's actually a win-win for both countries. So this is just one of the examples that we're going to promote,” he told IANS.
Revach said that India’s presidency of BRICS has given it a stronger voice among Global South countries, while highlighting New Delhi’s efforts to promote strategic cooperation in areas such as cyber, artificial intelligence and economic cooperation.
"Israel is not part of BRICS, but we understand that it is a very important alliance. It is not a Western alliance, which is also very important to emphasise. It is actually a good platform for international cooperation. We understand its importance, and we also see that this year, India is the president of BRICS and has a stronger voice for the Global South countries. At the end of the, end of the day, we deeply respect India's role during this presidency, and we see how India is trying to promote strategic cooperation in different aspects...as part of the BRICS, mainly cyber, AI, economic cooperation, which is very important”, he noted.
Describing the proposed Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj monument to be placed at the Adani Port in Haifa as a significant project, Revach said it would serve as an important connection between India and Israel.
“The most important project for me, as you know, is the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj monument that we are going to build in Israel. I am glad that we are working very closely with the Office of the (Maharashtra) Chief Minister. He is a big supporter of this project. We are now finalising the agreement with the JJ School of Architecture to design the statue. The statue is going to be placed at the Adani Port in Haifa. So, it is also a beautiful connection between India and Israel because we have an Indian port in Israel,” he mentioned.
--IANS
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