Tel Aviv, Jan 31 (IANS) Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Israel in February should be seen less as a ceremonial bilateral engagement and more as a strategic signal. It reflects India’s intent to extend the momentum of its European engagement into West Asia, connecting security, trade, and technology across regions rather than treating them as separate domains, a report said on Saturday.

“The European Union and India did something quietly consequential in late January. Alongside the long-awaited EU–India Free Trade Agreement, they signed their first-ever Security and Defence Partnership. This was not bureaucratic housekeeping. It was a strategic statement: Europe and India no longer see trade, security, technology, and geopolitics as separate files. They now travel together,” Sergio Restelli, an Italian political advisor, author and geopolitical expert, wrote in the ‘Times of Israel’.

“Seen from Jerusalem, that matters. And it gives particular weight to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expected visit to Israel in February. The visit is not just about bilateral ties. It is about how India is positioning itself as a connector between Europe and West Asia at a moment of profound strategic flux,” he added.

The expert stressed that for years, EU–India relations were labelled “underperforming,” a diplomatic euphemism for missed opportunities. He stated that linking the FTA with a defence and security agreement alters the narrative decisively, with trade and security now deliberately intertwined.

“The defence partnership spans maritime security, cyber threats, counterterrorism, protection of critical infrastructure, space, and defence industry cooperation. This breadth is revealing. Brussels and New Delhi are acknowledging that prosperity today depends on stability across sea lanes, digital networks, and supply chains — and that these cannot be safeguarded by economic agreements alone,” Restelli stated.

“This matters for Israel because it reshapes the strategic environment in which India operates. India is no longer just a large market or a balancing power in Asia; it is emerging as a pillar in a wider architecture linking Europe, the Indo-Pacific, and West Asia,” he stressed.

According to the report, even in isolation, PM Modi’s visit to Israel would be significant as under his leadership, India–Israel relations have evolved from “discreet cooperation to open strategic partnership”, especially in areas including defence, technology, agriculture, and innovation.

It further noted, “From Brussels to Jerusalem, the message is consistent. India is no longer just balancing between poles of power. It is actively shaping the connective tissue between them. And that, for Israel, is an opportunity worth paying close attention to.”

–IANS

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