Israel's Ambassador Reuven Azar meets Adityanath congratulates for making UP 'more secure'

     Lucknow, Oct 15 (PTI) Israel's Ambassador to India Reuven Azar met Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath here on Tuesday and congratulated the BJP leader for making "UP more secure". The envoy also met UP's agriculture minister and their discussions centred around collaborating for better use of technology and marketing to boost agriculture.
     Azar in his post thanked Adityanath, stating, "Thank you very much for your support for Israel and your hospitality today. Congratulations to you for your work in making #UttarPradesh more secure and prosperous. We are committed to working on the issues discussed."
     The chief minister, in a post on X, talked about the "deep bond" between UP and Israel.
     "Had a highly fruitful and meaningful discussion with Mr. Reuven Azar, Ambassador of Israel to India. This meeting marks another step towards strengthening the deep bond between UP and Israel in areas of mutual interest," Adityanath said after the meeting that has come in the middle of a raging Gaza conflict.
     UP Agriculture Minister Surya Pratap Shahi also met the Israeli ambassador. He told PTI that their discussions centred around how to collaborate for better use of technology and marketing to boost agriculture.
     The two leaders discussed expanding the technical partnership between Israel and UP in the agriculture sector and connecting small farmers with the centres of excellence that have been set up with Israeli support.
     "There are two centres of excellence that are currently running in UP in Kannauj and Basti and an Israeli delegation would visit one of the two centres of excellence in Kannauj on Wednesday," Shahi told PTI.
     It was decided to make two more centres of excellence functional in Kaushambi and Chandauli in east UP, the minister said.
     Apart from discussing possibilities of collaborating with Israeli companies in the PPP mode, the Israeli delegation was also informed about how UP is tapping technology for boosting agriculture, the minister added.
     The Israeli ambassador also urged the minister to ensure UP's participation in the Agritech Exhibition to be organised in 2025.
     In July, Union Minister of State for Labour and Employment Shobha Karandlaje, in a written reply in Lok Sabha, had given a state-wise breakup of workers who had been sent to Israel from India. UP, which had sent 4,415 workers to the war-hit nation till then (July), topped the list. Recruitment drives were also held in Lucknow to select candidates for Israel.
     Till the start of the war on Gaza in October 2023, the construction sector jobs and allied activities were mostly occupied by Palestinians but the war changed the situation leading to the West Asian nation looking up to countries like India to meet the shortfall.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)