NEW DELHI: Naor Gilon, Israel Ambassador to India, has said that his country’s handing over of the strategic port of Haifa to the Adani Group is a reflection of the trust that it has in India.
“It was a very important move from our point of view because Haifa Port is our strategic asset. Adani Group has the potential to make the Haifa Port the port it needs to be and to increase trade between Israel and India,” Gilon said. The envoy also revealed that the Adani Group was looking to invest in more projects in Israel, adding that he hopes for success in the conglomerate’s ventures in his country.
Addressing a press conference, Gilon said, “The fact that we are giving to an Indian company, I think from our point of view, it is a symbolic or sign of deep trust of handing the strategic asset in an Indian group.” “We have about 80 joint ventures with Indian companies, including Tata, Bharat Forge, BHEL… ports are the core business of Adani Group. I see ports working very well. Adani Group is looking for more projects in Israel and I hope they succeed,” he added. On the matter of Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Gilon said both India and Israel are keen on finalising the proposed free trade pact as it could further boost overall bilateral trade ties.
The Israeli ambassador also endorsed that India is on course to becoming a global superpower from a regional superpower.
“We want our friends to remain close to us. We feel very comfortable with India. As I said before, Indiancontrolled ports in Israel is something that we’re welcoming,” he added.
