Israel on Monday offered full co-operation to Andhra Pradesh over major projects in the areas of drip irrigation, agro industries, agriculture, information technology and other areas of mutual interest.
Israel is already involved in a major agricultural programme in Kuppam in Chittoor district, which is now being extended to more districts.
"We are prepared to share our expertise with India and Andhra Pradesh in any field of mutual interest. I have come to Hyderabad, among other things, to explore new areas of co-operation between my country and your state," Dan Stav, Israel's Charge d'Affairs who enjoys the status of an ambadssador in Delhi, said on arrival at Hyderabad.
Dan Stav said he would be meeting chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu and would hold detailed discussions in this regard.
Certain visits and exchanges were planned sometime ago, but these did not materialise, mainly because of his country's pre-occupation with several other problems and elections. Now the Israelis want to revive the proposals.
Dan Sav said relations between the two countries, especially trade, had been on upswing in recent years.
While the trade was of the order of $ 250 million in 1992 when the then P V Narasimha Rao government established full diplomatic relations with Israel, it increased almost fivefolds to $ 1.12 billion this year.
Since then, Israel has strong relations with successive governments in India.
On Israel's part, relationship with India is not based on partisan politics. "Whoever becomes the Prime Minister has always been maintaining good relations with India," he observed and added that Israel could not ignore India, which was "a large democracy, a powerful nation, a promising market and has a record of making great contribution to.peacekeeping operations the world over."
On a question on Israel's help to India to fight terrorism, Dan Stav said his country fully appreciated the problems faced by India and would extend whatever help was sought.
