Peres heads to India to launch Food Security project

Peres will also undertake a mission of public diplomacy to explain Israel’s case to the Indian media.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
Former president Shimon Peres. (photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Former president Shimon Peres.
(photo credit: MARC ISRAEL SELLEM/THE JERUSALEM POST)
Less than a week after returning from a lecture tour in the United States former President Shimon Peres left Israel on Wednesday night on a three day working visit to India.
He was initially scheduled to leave earlier but was delayed by a mild case of the flu.
As part of the Green Revolution, Peres and Prime Minister Narandra Modi will launch the infrastructure for a wide ranging Food Security and water technology project.
During his stay in New Delhi, the nonagenarian Peres will also meet with Indian officials and business people with the aim of enhancing economic cooperation and joint ventures between Israel and India.
When he completed his term as president, Peres set himself a goal of helping Israeli companies, especially those in the food production and water management industries, to develop new markets abroad and to establish new infrastructures with overseas partners.
The Food Security project is a joint venture between Israel, India and Australia through the Peres Center for Peace, the Indian Ananda Center and the Australian headquartered Pratt Foundation which concerns itself with economically and nutritionally deprived communities around the world. The Pratt Foundation is also active in Israel in a number of social welfare spheres.
Other companies, organizations and institutions will participate in the Food Security project through the exchange of know-how, and in cooperative endeavors to make use of advanced Israeli technology to enable increased energy and food yields in places where they are needed. This is part of the Green Revolution which is being promoted by Prime Minister Modi.
Peres will also undertake a mission of public diplomacy to explain Israel’s case to the Indian media.