Israeli PM on historic visit to India

Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon arrived in New Delhi on a four-day official visit that is being termed as "historic" by political analysts here. This is the first time for an Israeli prime minister to visit India since the two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992.
Heading a 124-member delegation including top representatives of Israeli defence industries, Sharon held wide-ranging discussions with Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on a range of bilateral, regional and international issues.

Prime Minister Vajpayee voiced confidence that the visit of Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to India would pave the way for further consolidating bilateral ties, and said there was no dilution of the country's stand on the Palestinian issue.
"Our relations will be further strengthened," he told when asked how he viewed the four-day landmark visit of Sharon. Asked whether there was any dilution by India of the Palestinian cause, the prime minister said, "We have taken a principledstand on it."

The two sides are negotiating a joint statement that is expected to reflect concerns over terrorism, perceptions on West Asia as also focus on bilateral economic cooperation. There are six new agreements expected in areas of environment, drug trafficking, visas for officials and medical research.
Meanwhile, Bharat Karnad of the Centre for Policy Research said, „There is new military convergence and strategic basis for security which require India and Israel to combat common sources of threat like Islamic extremism and terrorism and look out for common interests spanning the Mediterranean to South East Asia."

Israel is India's second largest market for defence equipment after Russia, but New Delhi insists trade and not defence will define Sharon's visit. The Israeli prime minister's visit is also expected to be useful in pushing through India's huge defence shopping list.
India badly needs the $ 1 bn Israeli airborne early-warning and control Phalcon systems apart from unmanned aerial vehicles, Arrow anti-missile system technology, ship based surface-to-air missile Barak, and an early warning radar and sensory gear for troops in high altitude.

Left parties and a number of Muslim organizations have opposed the Israeli leader's visit, terming it as a seal on the reversal of India's traditional support for the rights of the Palestinian people, and threatened to stage demonstrations during the visit. With India continuing its balancing act on its Middle East policy, New Delhi is looking at a multi-pronged approach of deepening its relations with Israel while sticking to its long-standing commitment to the Palestinian cause.
Senior officials said that India has no intention of mediating between the two warring sides. But this does not prevent it from raising Palestinian concerns over the "Road Map" during the parleys, they contended. During his recent visit, Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Sha'ath had urged India to impress upon Sharon that continued violence against Palestinians would not help in the implementation of the "Road Map."