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Modi to be first Indian PM to visit Israel

by IBNS 31 May 2015, 08:32 pm

New Delhi, June 1 (IBNS) Narendra Modi will visit Israel to be the first Indian Prime Minister to the Jewish country.

No dates have been finalised for the PM's visit which will take place on mutually convenient dates, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj has said.

 Swaraj herself  will be travelling to Israel this year, besides Palestine and Jordan.

"As far as my visit is concerned, it will take place this year. I will visit, Israel, Palestine and Jordan. As far as Prime Minister's visit is concerned, he will travel to Israel. No dates have been finalised. It will take place as per mutually convenient dates," she said replying to a question at a press conference.

At the same time, she asserted, "There was no change in India's policy towards Palestine."

Describing Israel as a friendly country,  Swaraj said India had never "let down" the Palestinian cause and it will continue to support it.

 India recognised Israel in 1950 and established full diplomatic relationship with the country only in 1992.

No Indian Prime Minister or President has ever visited that country with which for long India maintained a distance over the Palestine issue.

However, in 2003 the  then Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon became the first premier from that country to visit India.