Your Excellency, Mr. Reuven Rivlin,
President of the State of Israel,
Mrs. Nechama Rivlin,
Distinguished members of the Israeli
delegation,
Ladies and gentlemen,
1. It gives me great pleasure to
extend a very warm welcome to Your Excellency and Mrs. Nechama Rivlin on your
first State Visit to India.
2. Your visit is, indeed,
significant – as it is taking place twenty years after the last visit of an
Israeli President to India.
3. I fondly recall my own State
Visit to Israel in October 2015. I greatly value my discussions with Your Excellency
and my interactions with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders.
Everywhere and at every occasion, I was deeply touched by the warmth of the
people of Israel towards my country and my people. I take this opportunity to once again thank you for your gracious
hospitality. It is a great pleasure to receive you today in New Delhi.
4. Mr.
President, you represent a people who Indians admire - with whom we feel a
strong and unique bond. We are both ancient civilizations that have made
significant contributions to humanity. Trade and cultural contacts between our
peoples can be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilisation. These linkages
are, in fact, well documented - including in “Periplus of the Erythrian Sea”.
Indian society has, over the centuries, been enriched by the achievements of
its Jewish community.
5. Both our
peoples gained independence after the Second World War. Mahatma Gandhi, the
Father of our Nation, had believed that the Jews people had a legitimate claim
for Israel. Pandit Nehru, too, believed in this. He had said, in 1950 and I
quote, “Israel is a fact”.
6. As free
nations, we have both spent our formative years in developmental planning and
nation-building. We both have remained firmly committed to democratic values
and continue to strive for our common goals of global security and peace.
Excellency,
7. India admires
the people of Israel for all that you have accomplished. Your leadership, past
and present, has inspired your people to overcome unspeakable tribulations and
emerge stronger. Through sheer hard work and determination, you have built a
highly progressive, confident and self-reliant nation. Your passion for
innovation and your entrepreneurial spirit has earned you the title of a “Start
Up Nation”.
Excellency,
8. The recent bilateral exchanges
between India and Israel reflect the high level of trust between us and our
mutual understanding. They underline our shared desire to intensify our multi-faceted
bilateral co-operation. India’s economy is presently on
a positive trajectory. While opening it further and implementing the “Make
in India” and other flagship campaigns, we welcome the
participation of Israel, a valued partner, in India’s new
growth narrative.
9. Our
Governments have jointly identified areas that we would like to prioritise –
where we have tremendous synergies: India needs to develop its capabilities in
water resources management, agriculture, defence, renewable energy, academic
exchanges, science and technology as well as homeland and cyber security. Israel
has advanced technologies and proven capabilities in these key sectors. I am
happy that you will be visiting one of the 15 Centres of Excellence in
Agriculture set up with Israeli assistance. I am
also glad that you are accompanied on your visit by heads of Israel’s leading
Universities and institutions of higher education who seek to forge ties with
premier counterparts in India.
Mr. President,
10. Many of the
challenges of the 21st Century call for a co-ordinated response from
the global community. To effectively respond to global challenges including climate
change, we will need to collectively work for efficient solutions. We must
leave our children a world that is better, cleaner and
healthier, a world that is at peace, where diverse peoples live and flourish
side by side in peace, respectful of each other’s beliefs and in total harmony
with each other. I am confident that together, India and Israel can realise
this important goal. As we celebrate 25 years of our diplomatic relations next
year, India looks forward to further intensifying our partnership for our
mutual benefit and the good of the world.
11. With these words, I
welcome you and Mrs. Rivlin once again and wish you a very comfortable and
enjoyable stay in India.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I invite you to join me in
raising a toast:-
to the health and
well-being of President Rivlin and Mrs. Rivlin;
to the enduring
friendship between the Republic of India and the State of Israel;
·
to
peace in the world; and
·
the
continued progress and prosperity of the people of Israel.
*****
AKT/SH/SBP