Ukrainian, Israeli presidents meet in Kyiv

By Talha Yavuz

KYIV, Ukraine (AA) - Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky met Tuesday with his Israeli counterpart in the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Zelensky and Isaac Herzog held a news conference afterward at the Mariinsky Palace.

The Ukrainian president expressed his satisfaction with Israel's support for his country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"Especially within the scope of the UN, Ukraine will submit updated resolutions on human rights in the occupied Crimea and militarization of the peninsula for consideration at the General Assembly by the end of the year,” said Zelensky.

He underlined that Herzog's first overseas visit as president to Ukraine is an indication of the high level of relations between the two countries.

Noting that they discussed the security situations in the Middle East, eastern Ukraine and Crimea, Zelensky also said the trade volume between the countries increased thanks to a free trade agreement.

Herzog expressed his satisfaction with Ukraine for its fight against anti-Semitism and for preserving the memory of Ukrainian Jews killed in World War II.

Herzog said he would be pleased to host his Ukrainian counterpart in Israel.

Russian forces entered the Crimean Peninsula in February 2014, with President Vladimir Putin formally dividing the region into two separate federal subjects of the Russian Federation the following month.

Turkey, the US and the UN General Assembly view the annexation as illegal.

*Writing by Gozde Bayar