JERUSALEM—“I would like to thank you and Ukraine for supporting Israel in the international arena. We appreciate your stand against Hamas at the UN and hope Ukraine will fight against the one-sided criticism of Israel at the UN Human Rights Council,” said Israel’s president Reuven Rivlin as he met his visiting Ukrainian counterpart Petro Poroshenko in Jerusalem.
“Thank you for your strong words and actions against anti-Semitism in Ukraine, and for establishing a museum at Babi Yar to make sure that those terrible events are never forgotten,” Rivlin added.
The president added, “thousands of Israelis visit Ukraine each year, many of them to the town of Uman. Thank you for the excellent cooperation in ensuring their security.”
President Poroshenko thanked the president for his warm welcome and said, “I cannot imagine better relations between Israel and Ukraine. For many years, businesspeople from our countries have been waiting for a free trade agreement, and I am very happy the agreement will be signed today. We have excellent cooperation in the international arena. Today, I am here to demonstrate the depth and strength of the relations between our two countries.”
The president added, “thousands of Israelis visit Ukraine each year, many of them to the town of Uman. Thank you for the excellent cooperation in ensuring their security.”
During Poroshenko’s visit, Israel and Ukraine will sign a free-trade agreement that is expected to increase bilateral trade from $800,000 to $1 billion a year. The deal will also authorize the import of wheat and barley at low prices from Ukraine, which could lead to a drop in the price of baked goods in Israel.
The Ukrainian president said: “I cannot imagine better relations between Israel and Ukraine. For many years, business people from our countries have been waiting for a free trade agreement, and I am very happy the agreement will be signed today. We have excellent cooperation in the international arena. Today, I am here to demonstrate the depth and strength of the relations between our two countries.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is also scheduled to meet on Monday with President Poroshenko, plans to use the opportunity to ask the Ukrainian leader to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s official capital.