Modi-Bibi fly kite, hold roadshow in Guj to cement Indo-Israel ties with friendship

Making efforts for innovation-friendly systems: Modi; Israel and India can do more together: Netanyahu

18/01/2018

AHMEDABAD, Jan 17: Prime Ministers Narendra Modi and Benjamin Netanyahu flew kites, led a roadshow and spoke effusively about their friendship during a day-long visit to Gujarat in a public show of top-level backing for the fast growing ties between India and Israel.
Netanyahu said his country seeks to cooperate with India "in every field" and praised Modi for "revolutionising" his country. In turn, the Indian leader said he waited for "my friend" to visit India so they could together inaugurate an entrepreneur incubation centre for start-ups.
The bonding between the two leaders notwithstanding India voting in favor of a UN General Assembly resolution rejecting the US recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel was on full display at the very start of Netanyahu's visit to Modi's home state.
Modi received Netanyahu, who was accompanied by his wife Sara, at the airport with a bearhug, and then the three set off on an 8-km roadshow to the 'Sabarmati Ashram', the abode of Mahatma Gandhi for many years.
The road to Sabarmati Ashram was lined with people on both sides, with some carrying Indian and Israeli flags, as folk artists from several states sang and danced on stages erected at vantage points.
However, unlike last year's roadshow that Modi held with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe where they travelled in an open jeep, clicking pictures and waving at cheering crowds, today's event was a heavily guarded affair, with the leaders seated in SUVs, apparently due to security reasons.
Once at the Ashram, the prime minister was in the role of a guide, showing the visiting couple around the place where they tried their hands Gandhi's spinning wheel, wearing garlands of handspun cotton yarn. The wheel had become emblematic of Gandhi's non-violent resistance to the colonial rule and underpinned his vision of self-reliance.
Later, the two leaders addressed young entrepreneurs at Deo Dholera after after dedicating International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate), a public-private partnership (PPP) venture set up to nurture entrepreneurs by providing them funds, space, mentors and other facilities.
"Prime Minister Modi is changing India, by the force in vision of his leadership. He is revolutionising India. He is catapulting it into the future, and as one of the world's great powers. And he is doing it through the power of innovation," Netanyahu said.
"I want young Israelis to come to India, not just with the backpack, but with a laptop. This is essentially a boundless potential and that's why I have come here, to encourage young innovators from our two countries to work together," he said, adding Israel seeks cooperation with India in every field.
Friendship was the constant theme as the two leaders acknowledged the immense potential for further cementing the bonds between the two nations.
"I thank Modi for his vision and for his friendship, and for recognising the immense potential of our partnership" the Israeli leader said.
Underscoring the vast scope of pertnership between the two countries, Netanyahu said he wanted cooperation in areas as diverse as water conservation and agriculture to cyberspace, and life sciences.
"Today, I have a simple message. I want young Indians to know that Israel wants to form partnership with you in technology, in water, in agriculture, in cyber, in drones, in health, in life sciences, in every field. We are your partner," he said.
Modi voiced happiness over the inauguration of iCreate in the presence of Netanyahu.
"When I went to Israel last year, I made up my mind that this foundation should have stronger relations with Israel. Since then, I was waiting for my friend Benjamin Netanyahu to come to India. He is here and now we are inaugurating this foundation," Modi said.
The work for setting up 'iCreate' was launched in 2011 by Modi when he was the chief minister of Gujarat.
"We are working towards making entire system in our country innovation-friendly. Curiousity produces intent, whose power leads to innovation that will make new India," he added.
Innovation, he said, plays a major role in bringing together the people of India and Israel.
"People of Israel have proved that it is not the size and shape of a country but the determination of its citizens which takes it ahead," he said.
Impressed by some of the innovations put on display at iCreate, Netanyahu said, "The world knows about iPods, they know about iPads, but there is one more 'i' the the world needs to know about - iCreate."
As cordiality punctuated the engagement of the two leaders, the entire house burst into guffaw when Netanyau called both himself and Modi young.
"As you all know, I am sure you have noticed, Prime Minister Modi and I are both very young and very optimistic.
We are young in our thinking and we are optimistic about the future," he said, as Modi was seen breaking into a hearty laugh.
The Israeli leader wrapped up his speech with chant of 'Jai Hind, Jai Bharat, Jai Israel' (victory be to India and Israel).
Netanyahu also gifted a Gal-Mobile water desalination and purification jeep to Modi that the latter dedicated to people of Suigam village in Banaskantha district.
The two also visited the Centre of Excellence for Vegetables at Vadrad village of Sabarkantha district set up in 2015 with Israeli collaboration.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi said today his government is making efforts to create systems that are innovation-friendly to build an innovation-driven new India.
Modi was speaking after he and his Israeli counterpart Benjaman Netanyahu dedicated to the nation a centre for entrepreneurship and technology in Deo Dholera village near Ahmedabad.
Called the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate), a public-private partnership (PPP) venture set up to nurture entrepreneurs by providing them funds, space, mentors and other facilities.
"When I went to Israel last year, I made up my mind that this foundation should have more strong relations with Israel. Since then, I was waiting for my friend Benjamin Netanyahu to come to India. He is here and now we are inaugurating this foundation," Modi said.
"We are working towards making entire system in our country innovation-friendly, so that ideas are formed from intent, innovations are formed from ideas and new India is formed from innovations," the Prime Minister said.
The Israeli prime minister said he was delighted to be there.
"The world knows about iPads and iPods, there is on more i that the world needs to know about, that is iCreate."
Netanyahu ended his speech with "Jai Hind! Jai Bharat! Jai Israel! Thank you Prime Minister Modi".
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu today said farmers of Gujarat are reaping the benefits of technologies from his country and maintained he was ready to help India further in its endeavours.
Describing India as a country with a vision, he said both the nations can do more if they work together.
Netanyahu was speaking at the Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Vegetables, set up at Vadrad village of Sabarkantha district in 2015 in collaboration with Israel.
He was accompanied by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The visit to the CoE wrapped up the two leaders' day-long tour of Modi's home state. They interacted with the staff as well as farmers who have benefited from the centre.
The two PMs also inaugurated a new CoE for post harvest management of date palms at Kukma village near Bhuj town of Kutch district through remote control.
Before addressing a gathering, Modi and Netanyahu listened to some success stories from farmers as to how their yield and income saw a significant rise after acquiring technical know-how from the CoE at Vadrad.
"The most important thing is that farmers here are enjoying the benefits of the Israeli expertise, which is making their lives better and richer. This is what we are here for. To make your lives better," Netanyahu said.
The Israeli premier praised Modi's leadership.
"We have 20 Centres of Excellence and soon we will have 30 centres in India. We want to help India in helping itself.
Because India has a vision.
"India has a leader who understands that knowledge is the future. Knowledge with purpose. This is the policy of Modi. This is my policy," Netanyahu said in his address.
"We can do more together and we will do," he added.
In his address, Modi expressed confidence that his mission of doubling farmers' income by 2022 will be fulfilled with the help of Israeli technology.
"We want to double farmers' income by 2022. To increase their income, we have to increase the yield on the existing land held by farmers," he said.
Modi said the West Asian country has the expertise in judicious use of water for agriculture.
"We were of the habit of filling the entire field with water, thinking it is necessary for a better yield. But it was Israel which taught us how we can do farming with very less water...through drip irrigation. Organic farming is also one of our focus areas," he said.
Over one lakh farmers have taken advantage of the CoE at Vadrad and significantly increased their income by adopting new farming technologies, Modi added.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu praised his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi today, saying the latter is changing India through innovation and trying to make it a global power.
Emphasising that Israel seeks to form partnership with India in "every field", Netanyahu said he wants young Israelis to come to India, "not just with the backpack, but with a laptop".
Modi also lauded Israel for its innovations and said he was making efforts for creating innovation-friendly systems for a new India that is driven by innovation.
Both the leaders were addressing young entrepreneurs and businessmen here after dedicating International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology (iCreate), a public-private partnership (PPP) venture set up to nurture entrepreneurs by providing them funds, space, mentors and other facilities.
Netanyahu urged innovators from India and Israel to work together.
"Prime Minister Modi is changing India, by the force in vision of his leadership. He is revolutionising India. He is catapulting it into the future, and as one of the world's great power. And he is doing it through the power of innovation," Netanyahu said.

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