Ukraine, Israel to hold another round of political consultations

Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Vasyl Bodnar and Israel's Ambassador to Ukraine Joel Lion have discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has reported.

According to the report, a phone call between the two diplomats took place amid the swearing-in of the new Israeli government.

"On May 20, Ukraine's Deputy Foreign Minister Vasyl Bodnar received Ambassador of Israel to Ukraine Joel Lion. The parties discussed a wide range of issues of bilateral cooperation, including prospects for the development of the political and economic dialogue with the newly appointed Israeli government, support for Ukraine's territorial integrity, and the situation in the Middle East," the report reads.

In this context, the parties agreed to hold another round of political consultations between the foreign ministries of Ukraine and Israel in the near future.

The sides paid special attention to the issue of crimes against humanity - the Holocaust and the Holodomor. The Ukrainian side expressed hope that the new Israeli parliament would recognize the Holodomor of 1932-1933 in Ukraine as genocide of the Ukrainian people.

Bodnar also expressed hope that Israel would maintain its position in support of Ukraine's sovereignty and territorial integrity in the face of ongoing Russian aggression.

The new government of Israel took office on May 17, 2020.

The last round of political consultations between the foreign ministries of Ukraine and Israel took place in Jerusalem on April 29-30, 2019.

The Israeli delegation consistently voted in favor of UN General Assembly resolutions "The situation of human rights in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol (Ukraine)" in 2016-2019 and "Problem of the militarization of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea and the city of Sevastopol, Ukraine, as well as parts of the Black Sea and the Sea of Azov" in 2018 and 2019.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu paid an official visit to Ukraine in August 2019, and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky paid a working visit to Israel on January 23-24, 2020.

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