Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani to begin six-day Israel visit today

Chief Minister Vijay Rupani will embark on a six-day visit to Israel on Tuesday, his first foreign visit since becoming the chief minister in August 2016. Rupani will be accompanied by minister of state for agriculture Jaydrathsinh Parmar and eight senior bureaucrats.

Rupani's Israel visit will be the first by Gujarat CM in 12 years after Narendra Modi's visit in 2006, and comes a few months after Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's trip to Gujarat as a part of his India visit in January. The two countries had announced a five-year cooperation plan for agriculture at the time.

Israel's use of latest technology and experience in agriculture and water management will be central to the CM's visit.

"We will discuss how farm output can be improved with the use of new technologies and farming can be made more profitable. We will study how Israel has managed to resolve water issues, and also hold talks on innovation," Rupani told reporters.

An official statement from the state government said that the high-level delegation will hold bilateral talks with the Jewish nation's agriculture, foreign and industries ministers, and senior officials of Israeli government.

The delegation is slated to visit Israel Aerospace Industries, Elbit Systems, and Mobileye Corporation, and explore opportunities for mutual cooperation in defence manufacturing space as a part of Make in Gujarat.

Visits to Dan Region Wastewater Treatment Plant, Sorek desalination plant, and Naandan Jain Irrigation, where the delegation would be apprised about latest inventions in the field of agri technology, are also slated.