New Delhi, Jan 7 (ANI): External Affairs Minister SM Krishna will kick-start his jet setting four-nation trip to Israel-Palestine-Jordan- UAE on Sunday. The visit to Israel of an Indian Foreign Minister is taking place after a gap of eleven years.
Jaswant Singh, who was the Foreign Minister of the country during the NDA regime, visited the country last time in 2000.
External Affairs Minister SM Krishna will be holding extensive talks with his counterpart and Deputy Prime Minister Avigdor Lieberman in Israeli capital Tel Aviv on Monday.
According to government sources, India and Israel will sign the Extradition Treaty and agreement on transfer of sentenced persons.
Discussion on a free trade agreement is also underway between both the countries.
India is also keen in scaling up the cooperation in buying cutting edge technology in the field of agriculture and is also looking forward for much wider cooperation in the Defence sector with Israel, said a government source.
Krishna will call on Israeli President Simon Peres and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
India and Israel established diplomatic relations in 1992, and the trade between two countries stands at 5 billion US dollars per year.
Krishna will also visit the Holocaust memorial and Indian war cemetery, which has graves of 79 Indian soldiers who died in the First World War.
India was the first non-Arab country to recognize the statehood of Palestine in 1988 when it was declared.
Krishna will also be visiting Ramallah in Palestine and meet Prime Minister of the Palestine National Authority Salam Fayaad,
India is likely to reiterate its backing of the Palestine cause and its right for a separate homeland. Sources said India follows a stand-alone policy in its dealing with countries and the External Affairs Minister will be listening to the viewpoints of all the nations while touring the country.
"We exchange views, our viewpoint is premised on peace and security through dialogue and not violence," government source said. y Naveen Kapoor (ANI)
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