India sign cultural agreement with Israel to further strengthen people-to-people ties
21 Aug 2020 09:50:43
Jerusalem, August 21: In a major development taking their friendship to the next level to further strengthen their strategic bilateral relations India and Israel signed a cultural agreement that outlines a three-year program of cooperation that aims to promote greater people-to-people exchanges.
The agreement states that it shall contribute to the development of their relations and to raising awareness, particularly among youth, of the history and culture of the people of both countries. This is one of a series of agreements that will be followed by the signing of a water agreement by our Ambassador in India. This agreement is based on the cultural agreement signed between India and Israel on 18th May 1993 a little more than a year after they established full-fledged diplomatic relations.
Ichak Daana, Beechak Daana...FM @gabi_ashkenazi fondly recalled old B'wood movies & songs popular in Israel in 1950s-60s, at the occasion of signing of Cultural Exchange Programme today. CEP aims at strengthening bilateral cultural and people-to-people relations for next 3 years. pic.twitter.com/a81IRGTLDz
— India in Israel (@indemtel) August 20, 2020
During the agreement, Gabi Ashkenazi said that the cultural agreement with India is one of a series of agreements we have and it will be followed by the signing of a water agreement by our Ambassador in India. He added that he is excited to say that they are working on a mutual film production with the famous Bollywood industry of India.
Proud of multifaceted partnership btwn 🇮🇱 & 🇮🇳. Today on behalf of the state of Israel I signed an agreement for #waterflagshipproject with the @UPGovt 2 implement the Israeli water model in Bundelkhand. Water security is top priority in 🇮🇳&🇮🇱 strategic partnership pic.twitter.com/UNCc0t55Yb
— Ron Malka 🇮🇱 (@DrRonMalka) August 20, 2020
The major areas of cooperation identified to promote cultural ties include the exchange of culture and art experts, encouraging cooperation in the protection of cultural heritage and archaeology with the help of Israel Antiquities Authority (IIA) and Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and organising literary fests and book fairs while promoting the translation of famous works in each other's languages.
It also includes student exchanges through scholarships, encouraging the participation of films and film-makers in each other's international film festivals, devising youth exchange programs, and encouraging sports-related interaction among youth. Moreover, Israel's Ambassador to India, Ron Malka, signed an agreement with the state of Uttar Pradesh earlier on Thursday to cooperate in the field of water utility on the Indo-Israel Bundelkhand water project.