Indian President Pranab Mukherjee said he was “disturbed” by the recent wave of violence in Israel, as he met with his Israeli counterpart Reuven Rivlin Wednesday.

“India attaches high importance to its relationship with Israel; we are disturbed by the recent violence,” Mukherjee, who is the first Indian president to visit Israel, told Rivlin. “India condemns all forms of terrorism, and we have always advocated for a peaceful solution to all disputes.” He also mentioned that Israel and India have successfully collaborated in fighting terror and on environmental issues.

Mukherjee then attended a special session of the Knesset, in which he noted that “the Jewish people have always been an integral part of India’s composite society,” and thanked Israel for “rushing critical defense supplies [to India] in 1999.” Since that year, India has been the biggest importer of Israeli military equipment.

The election of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year was a harbinger for closer ties between Israel and India. Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s visit to India in February reflected the growing military ties between two nations. Late last year, the two nations agreed on two missile deals. Israel and India also are collaborating on the development of the Barak-8 surface-to-air missile.

In his speech to the Knesset welcoming Mukherjee to Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu noted that both countries have a history of fascination with the other’s culture, a commitment to democracy, and a history of partnership in technological and scientific innovation.

The chief minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra also visited Israel earlier this year, and said that Israel’s advances in agricultural technology would give a boost to his state’s agricultural output.

[Photo: Mark Neyman /GPO ]