PM Modi breaks protocol, receives Israeli PM Netanyahu at Delhi airport

Not disheartened by India's vote against Israel at the UN General Assembly on the issue of Jerusalem, PM Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed hope that bilateral ties would receive a further boost duringhis milestone visit to the country.

Welcome to India, my friend PM @netanyahu! Your visit to India is historic and special. It will further cement the close friendship between our nations. @IsraeliPM #ShalomNamaste - PM Modi's tweet read along with this picture of them hugging

New Delhi: Breaking protocol, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday personally went to the airport and received his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu who arrived here on a six-day visit to India. Modi greeted Netanyahu with a warm hug and shook hands with his wife Sara. Netanyahu is the first Israeli Prime Minister to visit India since Ariel Sharon came in 2003. Modi and Netanyahu will hold a bilateral summit here on Monday following which a number of agreements are expected to be signed. Netanyahu will also visit Gujarat and Mumbai. Meanwhile, not disheartened by India's vote against Israel at the UN General Assembly on the issue of Jerusalem, Netanyahu has expressed hope that bilateral ties would receive a further boost during his milestone visit to the country. India in December voted in favour of the UN General Assembly resolution condemning the US for its decision to recognise Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. Netanyahu said: "Well I would have preferred a different vote to be frank but I don't think it materially changes the tremendous flowering of relations between India and Israel". Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also visited the Jewish state in July,becoming the first Indian premier to do so. Here are latest updates

WATCH LIVE: Israel PM Benjamin Netanyahu to reach Teen Murti Chowk https://t.co/Wxn820N9VP

— ABP News (@abpnewstv) January 14, 2018

• Israel PM Netanyahu & PM Modi attend ceremony to mark the formal renaming of Teen Murti Chowk as Teen Murti Haifa Chowk
• Modi breaks protocol and receives Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu

• Netanyahu comes out of plane

• PM Modi to receive the Israeli PM

• PM Benjamin Netanyahu arrives in Delhi

Israel PM #BenjaminNetanyahu to arrive in India later today on a six day visit. Visuals from Delhi's Teen Murti where PM Modi and PM #Netanyahu will attend ceremony to mark the formal renaming of Teen Murti Chowk as the Teen Murti Haifa Chowk pic.twitter.com/CAD1GodtTw — ANI (@ANI) January 14, 2018

• PM Narendra Modi may go to airport to receive Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu to gift water desalinisation jeep to Modi Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will present a special gift - the Gal-Mobile water desalinisation and purification jeep - to his friend Narendra Modi during his visit to India starting January 14, according to sources. Netanyahu and Modi waded into the Mediterranean Sea and rode the "buggy" jeep on the coast during the latter's visit to Israel in July last year. Now Netanyahu is going to gift the same jeep to Modi, informed sources said. As Netanyahu prepares for his six-day visit to India, sources confirmed that the jeep has "indeed" left for India and "would be arriving on time" to be presented by the Israeli Prime Minister to Modi. The jeep is said to cost around 390,000 shekels (approximately USD 111,000). (With additional information from Agencies)