President Volodymyr Zelenskyy notes the principled support of the State of Israel for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine. He said this in a joint statement with Israeli President Isaac Herzog after talks in Kyiv.
"We expect that this position will be maintained in the future. In particular, within the UN, where by the end of this year Ukraine will submit updated resolutions on the human rights situation in the occupied Crimea and the militarization of the occupied peninsula for consideration by the General Assembly," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The President of Ukraine noted that the first state visit of Isaac Herzog as President of Israel is taking place in Ukraine.
"I consider this a sign of high respect, friendship and strong relations between our countries," Volodymyr Zelenskyy stressed.
He said that during the meeting in Kyiv he discussed with his Israeli counterpart the situation in the Middle East, as well as the security challenges currently facing Ukraine in the context of the ongoing war in Donbas and the Russian temporary occupation of the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea.
During the talks, the heads of state paid special attention to honoring the memory of the victims of Babyn Yar, a horrific crime of the Nazi regime.
"I am grateful to President Herzog, as well as to other high-ranking delegations who will be arriving in Kyiv these days to take part in commemorative events marking the 80th anniversary of this terrible world tragedy. The memory of these victims is sacred for us, for each Ukrainian," Volodymyr Zelenskyy said.
The leaders of Ukraine and Israel stressed the importance of continuing educational efforts at the national and international levels in order to prevent the recurrence of such heinous crimes as the Holocaust and the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy reminded that on December 26, Ukraine and Israel will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
"A lot has been achieved during our close cooperation. I am glad that we have managed to build such warm relations, which are developing on the basis of interstate mutual understanding and trust, and that there is a warm friendly atmosphere between the two peoples," he said.
For his part, Isaac Herzog also noted the importance of this date and said that he had invited Volodymyr Zelenskyy to pay a visit to Israel and would be glad to welcome him to Israel.
Isaac Herzog also thanked the Ukrainian President and the Verkhovna Rada for the fight against anti-Semitism and noted Ukraine's contribution to preserving the memory of the killed Ukrainian Jews.
"It's all really valuable. Mainly because it is an important basis for partnership and building a common successful future for our countries," said the President of Israel.
