Israeli Navy Chief Ram Rutberg to hold talks with top Indian officials

NEW DELHI: In a sign of increasing defence cooperation between the two countries, Israeli Navy Chief Vice Admiral Ram Rutberg will arrive here on Monday and will hold talks with top Indian officials.

Vice Admiral Rutberg, who is coming here on a three-day visit, will be presented Guard of Honour at the South Block Lawns, which houses Defence Ministry, official sources said today.

Besides, holding talks with the top Indian authorities in the capital, the Israeli Naval chief would also visit Mumbai as part of his itinerary, they said.

In a bid to bolster defence ties between the two countries, a frontline warship of Indian Navy-- INS Trikand - made a port call on August 19 at the port of Haifa in Israel. The previous port call at Haifa by an Indian Navy warship was in 2012.

During the four-day stay at Haifa, extensive engagements are planned with the Israeli Navy.

INS Trikand, commanded by Captain Vinay Kalia, is the latest warship of the Navy equipped with a versatile range of weapons and sensors enabling to address threats in all the three dimensions - air, surface and sub-surface.

Since establishment of diplomatic relations between the two nations in 1992, bilateral interactions between India and Israel have seen rapid growth across a broad spectrum.

The bonds developed through such events strengthen the established mechanisms of maritime cooperation between the two countries while pursuing common goals of safe and secure seas, an official statement said.

In addition to professional interactions, various sports and social engagements are planned to further enhance understanding between the two navies.