Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Israeli Knesset (parliament) on the first day of his two-day visit, highlighting the significant improvement in India-Israel relations since 2014. He urged enhanced cooperation through projects like the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) and the I2U2 grouping (India, Israel, UAE, and US).

The IMEC project was announced in September 2023 during a G20 summit and aims to connect India, the Middle East, and Europe via an integrated rail and shipping corridor. The route would pass through India, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Israel, and Europe.

The I2U2 group was established in July 2022 and focuses on initiatives in water, energy, transportation, space, health, and food security. Its projects include a food security initiative in India and a renewable energy project in Gujarat.

In his speech, Modi condemned the October 7 Hamas attacks and expressed India's solidarity with Israel. India-Israel trade has grown from $200 million in 1992 to $6.5 billion in 2024. Modi became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel in 2017.

Source: www.aljazeera.com