On the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the murders in Babyn Yar, Israeli President Isaac Herzog will make his first official visit to Ukraine, according to the Israeli Embassy in Ukraine.”During his official visit to Ukraine, President Herzog will speak at events dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar massacre, meet with President Volodymyr Zelensky and Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, address the Verkhovna Rada and meet with representatives of the Ukrainian Jewish community. The visit is expected on October 5 to 7, 2021,” the embassy said in the statement, which was provided to Interfax-Ukraine on Wednesday.
The Duke will arrive in Ukraine on Tuesday, October 5, 2021, on the first official visit of his presidency, at the invitation of President Volodymyr Zelensky.
During the visit, President Herzog will take part in the official international ceremony dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the murders at Babyn Yar, the opening of Kyiv Holocaust Memorial Center in Babyn Yar. Zeev Elkin, a government representative in Ukraine, and other members of the Knesset will also join the presidential delegation, the embassy said.
“There is a need to keep talking about this terrible event and learning its lessons. The Holocaust Memorial Center at Babyn Yar is an important place to celebrate this painful memory and to make a statement that we must continue to make together: never again. The only way to build a present and a future in which crimes against humanity will not find support – it is to study the past, including the Holocaust and the persecution of the Jewish people, in the spirit of the commandment “and you will tell your son and daughter.” I welcome the invitation of President Zelensky and his dedication to the war against anti-Semitism,” the embassy said.
On the morning of Tuesday, October 5, President Herzog will fly to Ukraine, where he will start his visit by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Kyiv, and then go to an official reception at the Mariinsky Palace, which will start with a guard of honor.
Later, President Herzog will meet with President Zelensky. The meeting will be followed by a joint press statement. In the evening, President Zelensky will receive President Herzog at an official dinner.
On Wednesday morning, President Herzog will address the Verkhovna Rada. On the same day, President Herzog will take part in an event with the local Jewish community and will meet with President of the Federal Republic of Germany Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who will also attend the Babyn Yar memorial ceremony.
On Wednesday afternoon, President Herzog will deliver a speech at the official ceremony to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar murders at the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center in Kyiv, the embassy said.
