India inks pacts with Israel on legal, security co-op

NEW DELHI - India and Israel have inked at least three pacts on legal and security cooperation between the two countries, local media reported Friday.

The pacts - Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty in Criminal Matters, Agreement on Protection of Classified Material and Agreement on Cooperation in Homeland and Public Security - were signed by a top Indian Home Ministry official and Israeli Ambassador Alon Ushpiz in the national capital Thursday, reports said.

In a statement, the Israeli Embassy in the Indian capital has said: "We believe that these agreements are another important platform for the cooperation between our countries and we would like to express our appreciation for the leadership of the Ministry of Home Affairs in this regard."

Israeli Minister of Public Security Yitzhak Aharonovich added: "These agreements that were signed are a fine example of our substantial and equal partnership with India. The various types and forms of threats the two countries face make this cooperation an indispensable one."

The two countries signed the agreements on the day when Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif arrived in India on a two-day visit.