India and Israel elevated bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership in 2017

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar will pay an official visit to Israel from October 17-21.

He will be visiting at the invitation of Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Israel Yair Lapid, said the Ministry of External Affairs on Saturday.

He will hold a bilateral meeting with the Alternate Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of Israel.

He will also call on the President, the Prime Minister, and the Knesset Speaker.

This will be Jaishankar's first visit to the country as External Affairs Minister.

India and Israel elevated bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership during the historic visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Israel in July 2017.

Since then, the relationship between the two countries has focused on expanding knowledge-based partnership, which includes collaboration in innovation and research, including boosting the ‘Make in India’ initiative.

The EAM will interact with the Indian-origin Jewish community in Israel, Indologists, Indian students who are currently pursuing their education in Israeli universities, and business people, including from the hi-tech industries.

The visit will also be an occasion to pay tribute to the valiant Indian soldiers who laid their lives in the region, especially during the First World War, the MEA said.