TEL AVIV (TIP): National Security Adviser Ajit Doval has held talks with Israel‘s top leadership here as part of preparations for PM Narendra Modi‘s muchawaited visit, the first by an Indian premier to the Jewish country. Modi is expected to visit Israel by the middle of this year.

Doval met Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in his Jerusalem office. Doval also met his counterpart, Israel’s acting National Security Adviser and Head of the National Security Council, Brig. Gen. (retd) Jacob Nagel.

India‘s relations with Israel have made steady progress since the two countries established diplomatic relations 25 years ago, in January 1992, irrespective of the party in power in New Delhi, but a prime ministerial visit to Israel has been long-awaited

President Pranav Mukherjee visited Israel in October, 2015, in what was the first such visit by an Indian Head of State to the Jewish country. The only visit of an Israeli PM to India happened in 2003 when Ariel Sharon visited New Delhi