New Delhi, Oct 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday received a telephone call from his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu, during which the two leaders exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and underscored the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region.
Modi and Netanyahu also welcomed the sustained momentum in India-Israel relations and reaffirmed their shared commitment to further strengthening the Special Strategic Partnership between the two countries.
“The leaders also exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and underscored the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s call for dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a statement.
In a post on X, Modi said he received a phone call from the Israeli prime minister.
“We reviewed the sustained momentum in our bilateral ties and reaffirmed our commitment to further strengthening our partnership. We also exchanged views on recent developments in West Asia and underscored the urgent need to restore peace and stability in the region,” he said.
Prime Minister Modi had made a state visit to Israel from February 25 to 26. The two leaders had then agreed and decided to elevate the Strategic Partnership to a new level — ‘A Special Strategic Partnership for Peace, Innovation and Prosperity’.
Modi had then said that India’s security interest was linked to peace and stability in the Middle East, adding that New Delhi fully supported the Gaza Peace Initiative.
They also had telephonic talks during the US-Iran and Iran conflict.
Earlier this month, Netanyahu had called Indian pilot Smit Machchhar a “hero of the entire world” for foiling an alleged attempt by his co-pilot to crash an Israel-bound flight, as he spoke with him over the phone.
Captain Machchhar was attacked and seriously injured by his co-pilot in the cockpit of flydubai flight FZ1073 while the aircraft was travelling from Dubai to Tel Aviv last month.
