Guwahati, Nov. 24 -- Israeli Ambassador to India Reuven Azar on Sunday expressed optimism about the progress of the India-Israel Free Trade Agreement (FTA), stating that the recent signing of Terms of Reference (ToR) for the agreement during Union Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal's visit to Tel Aviv has brought the two nations very close to finalising the pact.

Speaking following the inauguration of the Centre of Excellence for Vegetables under the Indo-Israel Agricultural Project at Khetri in Assam's Kamrup (Metro) district, the Ambassador described India as a "reliable partner", highlighting the rapid momentum in bilateral ties.

"We see in India a reliable partner, and therefore we are seeing a lot of energy coming from Israel to finali...