Guwahati (Assam) [India], November 24 (ANI): Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar on Sunday expressed optimism about the progress of the India–Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA), saying the recent signing of the Terms of Reference (ToR) during Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal’s visit to Tel Aviv has brought both nations closer to finalising the pact.
Speaking after the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence for Vegetables under the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project at Khetri in Assam’s Kamrup (Metro) district, the Ambassador described India as a “reliable partner,” noting the growing momentum in bilateral ties.
“We see in India a reliable partner, and therefore we are seeing a lot of energy coming from Israel to finalise many important agreements. We signed agreements in the field of security to increase our industrial-military cooperation. We signed an agreement of mutual investments,” Azar said. “Now, thanks to the visit of Minister Piyush Goyal, we’ve signed the terms of reference for a free trade agreement that hopefully we are going to sign,” he added.
Last week, India and Israel formally signed the ToR to begin negotiations for the FTA, marking a significant step toward strengthening economic ties. The signing took place between Goyal and Israeli Minister of Economy and Industry Nir Barkat at a ceremony in Tel Aviv.
Azar also noted that India and Israel are exploring deeper collaboration in areas such as digital payments and financial cooperation.
Highlighting the growing agricultural partnership, the Ambassador praised the Government of Assam for adopting Israeli technology to enhance local farming practices. He attended the inauguration event with Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
“We’ve been cooperating with India in agriculture for many years now, and fortunately, we had this opportunity in which the government of Assam gave faith in the Israeli technology. Thanks to the hard work of the people of Assam, we have been able to put up this centre of excellence, which hopefully will help diversify crops in Assam and increase productivity,” Azar said.
The Khetri facility joins the expanding network of Indo-Israeli Centres of Excellence across India, which serve as flagship hubs of agricultural collaboration. According to the Israeli Embassy in New Delhi, the two countries share a strategic, government-to-government agricultural partnership under the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project (IIAP), based on an MoU signed earlier.
The project aims to introduce crop diversity, boost productivity, and improve water-use efficiency through Centres of Excellence that act as demonstration farms where Israeli agricultural technologies and expertise are adapted to local conditions.
There are currently 34 fully operational Centres of Excellence across India, with 16 more set to be established soon. (ANI)
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