Israel's President Rivlin to pay state visit to Romania

Israeli President Reuven Rivlin will be paying a state visit to Romania this week, at the invitation of his Romanian counterpart Klaus Iohannis. Rivlin is scheduled today to meet Iohannis at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace for one-on-one talks followed by a joint news conference. In the afternoon, Prime Minister Florin Citu will welcome the Israeli official at the Romanian Government House. "The state visit of the Israeli president is part of the excellent dynamics of high-level bilateral contacts of late, with the most recent meeting between the two heads of state taking place as part of the Romanian president's participation in the World Holocaust Remembrance Forum in Jerusalem in January 2020, followed by telephone conversations in March and June 2020," according to the Romanian Presidential Administration. Rivlin's visit is also said to reflect the "solidity" of the bilateral relationship, as well as the fact that Israel remains Romania's key partner with strategic valences in the Middle East. Talks between the two presidents will focus on ways to develop and deepen bilateral relationships in all areas of common interest, with the visit starting ahead of the 73rd anniversary on June 11 of uninterrupted diplomatic ties between Romania and Israel. Economic and health co-operation will also be addressed, including the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as Holocaust education and other measures to combat anti-Semitism in Romania, alongside cultural and interpersonal exchanges between the two countries. Particular attention will be paid to the latest developments in the Middle East, including the developments in the Middle East Peace Process, with emphasis on security in the region following recent developments, and other current issues on the regional and international agenda will be addressed. AGERPRES (RO - editor: Andreea Rotaru; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Cristina Zaharia)