BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - A Louisiana water research institute has signed a five-year agreement with an Israeli organization to conduct research together.

The document signing Monday by the Baton Rouge-based Water Institute of the Gulf and the Israel-based Zuckerberg Institute for Water Research came during Gov. John Bel Edwards' visit to Israel.

The agreement commits each organization to work collaboratively on groundwater research, applications to improve farming, improvements to drinking water aquifer use and other areas.

Edwards said the document meets the trip's spirit, which he described as aimed at joining "two peoples and two cultures in a way that brings lasting benefit to both our lands."

The Democratic governor is leading a 24-person delegation for a week-long trip focused on possible trade prospects, energy issues and the cybersecurity industry. The group returns Friday.