Science, Technology and Space Minister Ofir Akunis will head to India for an official visit on Saturday. In an unusual move, Akunis has invited his predecessor, Yesh Atid MK Yaakov Peri, to join him on the one-week trip. The two will visit the country's capital New Delhi and India's "Silicon Valley" in Bangalore. MKs Yitzhak Vaknin (Shas) and Michal Rozin (Meretz), both members of the India-Israel Friendship Lobby, will also accompany the two on their trip. President Reuven Rivlin met with Akunis earlier in the week to share notes and highlights from his own recent trip to the country. In India, the MKs will meet with Indian Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan at the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research. Akunis will also meet with Indian MPs, government officials, media figures and research institute fellows. On Thursday, Akunis told Israel Hayom that his trip to India is "further evidence of Israel's scientific and innovative might. The world's enormous desire to deepen and intensify cooperation with us is particularly pronounced in the Far East: in India, China, Japan and South Korea. We are identifying a strong and increasing desire to collaborate with the State of Israel, and this is something that is also reflected in my trip to India."
Before arriving in India, Akunis is expected to stop in Hong Kong to meet with the autonomous territory's Innovation and Technology Secretary Nicholas Yang.
