‘India, Israel transformed COVID-19 pandemic into opportunity to assist one another’

A team of researchers from Israel had arrived in India on Monday to develop a rapid testing kit for COVID-19 which can give results within a few seconds.

As per reports, the team comprising of 20 experts from various fields was led by Israel’s Ambassador to India Ron Malka and Defence Attache Col Assaf Meller.

The delegation which includes scientists, engineers, health experts, defense and security experts arrived in the national capital in a special flight from Tel Aviv on Monday morning.

The flight also carried advanced medical equipments that had been developed in Israel in order to combat COVID-19.

The cargo also included advanced ventilators that are banned for export in Israel but had been brought to India after a special waiver was given on them.

The Israeli defence ministry research and development team has been working with India’s chief scientist K Vijay Raghavan and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to develop rapid testing for COVID-19 in less than 30 seconds, the Israeli Embassy had said last week.

The team from the Directorate of Defence Research and Development (DDR&D) in the Israeli Ministry of Defence will conduct a series of tests and carry out the final stages of research in India to determine the effectiveness of advanced technologies for the rapid diagnosis of Covid-19, a statement from the Israeli foreign ministry said.

Gilad Cohen, deputy director-general for Asia in the Israeli foreign ministry, said the two countries had ‘successfully transformed this unprecedented global pandemic into an opportunity to assist one another and further enhance their relations’.

“Israel’s exceptional gesture today was a welcome “thank you” to India, which, just a few months ago, sent medicine and other essential diagnostic equipment in severe global shortage at the time to Israel,” Cohen wrote in a blog in the Times of Israel.

“The Israel-India relationship has improved dramatically over the past several years. Today, India has become one of our most significant friendships in the Asia region,” he added.