India and Israel Discuss Important Issues in 17th Round of Foreign Office Consultations
New Delhi, India – India and Israel held their 17th round of Foreign Office Consultations on Wednesday. The Indian delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, while the Israeli side was led by Director General of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yaakov Blitshtein.
During the meeting, both sides discussed various bilateral issues and reviewed their strategic partnership. They also shared views on the current situation in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific region.
Foreign Secretary Misri expressed India’s concern over the escalating situation in West Asia and emphasized the importance of restraint, dialogue, and diplomacy. He also reiterated India’s strong condemnation of the October 7 terror attacks on Israel, calling for the immediate release of all hostages and a ceasefire.
Following the consultations, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, highlighting the comprehensive review of bilateral relations and the strategic partnership between the two countries.
Earlier in the day, Yaakov Blitshtein paid tribute to the victims of the 26/11 terror attack in Mumbai and inaugurated the Advanced Antimicrobial Emergency Room at JJ Hospital. He emphasized the importance of good healthcare and the need for global cooperation to combat terrorism, describing it as a disease that requires collective action to eradicate.
Doubts Revealed
Foreign Office Consultations -: These are meetings where officials from two countries discuss important issues and work together to solve problems.
Foreign Secretary -: The Foreign Secretary is a high-ranking official in the Indian government who deals with other countries.
Director General -: The Director General is a high-ranking official in the Israeli government who deals with other countries.
West Asia -: West Asia is a region that includes countries like Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iran. It is also known as the Middle East.
October 7 terror attacks -: These were violent attacks that happened in Israel on October 7. Terror attacks are when people use violence to scare others.
hostages -: Hostages are people who are captured and held by someone, usually to force others to do something.
ceasefire -: A ceasefire is an agreement to stop fighting for a certain period of time.
26/11 victims -: These are the people who were hurt or killed during the terrorist attacks in Mumbai on November 26, 2008.
global cooperation -: This means countries around the world working together to solve problems, like fighting terrorism.
terrorism -: Terrorism is when people use violence to scare others and achieve their goals.