Israeli PM Begins Historic Visit to India

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, September 09, 2003

Israeli PM Begins Historic Visit to India

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon arrived in New Delhi Monday night on a four-day official visit that is being termed as "historic" by political analysts in New Delhi.

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Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon arrived in New Delhi Monday night on a four-day official visit that is being termed as "historic" by political analysts in New Delhi.

This is the first time for an Israeli prime minister to visitIndia since the two countries established diplomatic relations in1992.

Heading a 124-member delegation including top representativesof Israeli defense industries, Sharon will hold wide-rangingdiscussions with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee Tuesday on arange of bilateral, regional and international issues.

Prime Minister Vajpayee Monday voiced confidence that the visitof Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to India would pave the wayfor further consolidating bilateral ties, and said there was nodilution of the country's stand on the Palestinian issue.

"Our relations will be further strengthened," he told reporterswhen asked how he viewed the four-day landmark visit of Sharon.

Asked whether there was any dilution by India of the Palestinian cause, the prime minister said, "We have taken aprincipled stand on it."

The two sides are negotiating a joint statement that isexpected to reflect concerns over terrorism, perceptions on WestAsia as also focus on bilateral economic cooperation.

There are six new agreements expected in areas of environment,drug trafficking, visas for officials and medical research.

Meanwhile, Bharat Karnad of the Center for Policy Research said,"There is new military convergence and strategic basis forsecurity which require India and Israel to combat common sourcesof threat like Islamic extremism and terrorism and look out forcommon interests spanning the Mediterranean to South East Asia."

Israel is India's second largest market for defense equipmentafter Russia, but New Delhi insists trade and not defense willdefine Sharon's visit.

The Israeli prime minister's visit is also expected to beuseful in pushing through India's huge defense shopping list.

India badly needs the 1 billion US dollars Israeli airborneearly-warning and control Phalcon systems apart from unmannedaerial vehicles, Arrow anti-missile system technology, ship basedsurface-to-air missile Barak, and an early warning radar andsensory gear for troops in high altitude.

Left parties and a number of Muslim organizations have opposedthe Israeli leader's visit, terming it as a seal on the reversalof India's traditional support for the rights of the Palestinianpeople, and threatened to stage demonstrations during the visit.

With India continuing its balancing act on its Middle Eastpolicy, New Delhi is looking at a multi-pronged approach ofdeepening its relations with Israel while sticking to its long-standing commitment to the Palestinian cause.

Senior officials said that India has no intention of mediatingbetween the two warring sides. But this does not prevent it fromraising Palestinian concerns over the "Road Map" during theparleys, they contended.

During his recent visit here, Palestinian Foreign MinisterNabil Sha'ath had urged India to impress upon Sharon thatcontinued violence against Palestinians would not help in theimplementation of the "Road Map."

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