NEW DELHI, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- After a four-year gap, India is resuming defense and security talks with Israel, the Indian Express newspaper said Monday.
The Joint Working Group on Defense with Israel will meet on Jan. 15, the paper reported.
The resumption of meetings was planned following tactical overtures by Pakistan President Gen. Pervez Musharraf towards Tel Aviv.
"India has hurriedly called the meeting of the National Security Advisors of the two countries as it does not want Tel Aviv to be influenced by Islamabad," said the Indian Express report.
An Indian defense ministry official said Israel's National Security Advisor, Giora Eiland, was scheduled to arrive in New Delhi on Dec. 23 to start talks with his Indian counterpart M.K. Narayanan, but had to defer the visit on personal grounds.
"He is now expected next month and diplomats on both sides are working out the dates," said an Indian foreign ministry official.
The official said the discussions between the two will revolve around Iran's nuclear program, Islamic fundamentalism, the exchange of counter-terror intelligence and the effectiveness of Israeli's counter-infiltration devices being used along the Indian-Pakistani Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir.
