The first eventful day of the visit of the President of the State of Israel Shimon Peres to Kiev ended with a meeting with local Jewish community leaders.
The President of Israel noted the unprecedented role that the Jewish community of Ukraine played in the creation of the Jewish state. “When I come to Kiev or Odessa, I feel like I am entering the labor ward where the cradle of Israel stands,” said the President. He spoke in detail on the history of the Jewish community of Ukraine and the role that natives of Ukraine played in the foundation of Israel, Shimon Peres touched upon the current state of events, underscoring the importance of connections between the two countries. According to his words, this official visit laid the foundations of cooperation in economics and science. The President of Israel expressed a sureness that friendly, constructive, and fruitful relations between the two countries will strengthen even more.

As it is known, before the visit of Shimon Peres, the Ukrainian Jewish community turned to the President of Israel with a request to discuss a number of questions important for the development of the community with the government of Ukraine. These questions have already been raised during the negotiations with the President and members of the Ukrainian Cabinet of Ministers. In addition to the propositions of the community that involved the question of preserving Jewish cultural heritage in Ukraine, the President of Israel also requested the restoration (possibly in Israel) of 350 Torah scrolls, currently in the possession of Ukraine, and their transfer into the possession of the Jewish community. According to Shimon Peres, the Ukrainian leadership took this request to heart.

The Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC) was represented by the Chairman of the EAJC General Council Josef Zissels, and EACH General Council members Semen Belman, Vyacheslav Likhachev, and Leonid Finberg.
Tonight the President of Israel shall arrive in Dnipropetrovsk.