The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee has extended his greetings and felicitations to Government and people of the State of Israel on the occasion of their National Day (May 03, 2016).

In a message toH.E. Mr. Reuven Rivlin, President of the State of Israel, the President has said, "It gives me immense pleasure to extend, on behalf of the Government and people of India and on my own behalf, felicitations to you and the friendly people of the State of Israel on the occasion of your National Day.

Our common commitment to the safeguarding of our democratic institutions and our shared values of liberty, freedom and equality have helped in forging a deep friendship between our two nations. At the political level, our relations have been enhanced by frequent exchanges of visits which have served to deepen our mutual understanding and strengthen our resolve to work together to tackle the development challenges of the 21st century.

During my first State Visit to Israel in October, 2015, I was touched by the goodwill for India amongst the people and leadership of Israel. I am happy to convey that this feeling is mutual and that we, in India, regard Israel with profound respect for its proud achievements. I very much valued our frank discussions that will, no doubt contribute to reinforcing our ties and building new bonds of trust and partnership between our peoples.

The innovative solutions developed in Israel – using advanced technology to address agricultural, water and urban development challenges offer promising avenues for bilateral cooperation and collaboration. India has welcomed Israeli participation in our flagship programmes like Make in India, Clean Ganga, Digital India, and Smart City initiatives.

Excellency, I am confident that our two countries will continue to achieve new heights in our bilateral cooperation for the benefit of our two peoples in the years to come.

Please accept, Excellency, my best wishes for your personal well being”.

This Press Release issued at 1600 hrs.