Tel Aviv [Israel], November 23 (ANI): Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal visited the Kadavumbagam Synagogue at the Israel Museum during his three-day trip, describing it as “a remarkable testament to the heritage and traditions of the Cochin Jewish community.” Goyal toured the synagogue on Saturday as he concluded his visit, the first by an Indian Commerce Minister to Israel in two decades.
Goyal said his November 20–22 visit had been “very successful,” noting strong interest from both the Israeli government and industry in expanding cooperation with India. He highlighted that the two sides finalized and signed the Terms of Reference for a proposed India–Israel free trade agreement, enabling formal negotiations to begin.
“It was a very successful three-day visit to Israel. There is a great deal of enthusiasm in the industry and the government to further strengthen relations with India. As a result, we finalized and signed the Terms of Reference, which will now begin negotiations for a free trade agreement. I also held separate discussions with several technology companies. At the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, we saw how Israel, taking every disaster as a challenge, has worked to benefit from it. It has turned it into an opportunity, and from that, whether it is in the field of security, health, or electronics technology, it has achieved remarkable innovations and success in various fields,” Goyal told reporters.
Goyal also noted his extended conversation with Israel’s Minister of Economy and Industry, Nir Barkat, during which they discussed further steps to enhance economic ties. He said Barkat agreed to visit India with a large business delegation.
The minister expressed confidence that his visit would increase bilateral trade between Israel and India. He emphasized that the renewed engagement, coming two decades after the last visit by an Indian Commerce Minister, is expected to significantly boost trade, innovation partnerships, and investment flows.
Earlier on Saturday, Goyal held a series of wide-ranging engagements aimed at strengthening cooperation across agriculture, technology, innovation, and trade. On Friday, he met Israeli Minister of Agriculture and Food Security Avi Dichter for an in-depth discussion on advancing agricultural collaboration. Dichter briefed him on Israel’s 25-year food security roadmap, advanced seed-improvement strategies, and global leadership in water-reuse technologies for agriculture.
As part of his engagements, Goyal also visited the Peres Center for Peace and Innovation, where he was briefed on Israel’s pioneering technological ecosystem, the Commerce Ministry said in a statement. (ANI)
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