President Iohannis welcomes Israeli counterpart Rivlin

President Klaus Iohannis on Tuesday welcomed visiting President of Israel Reuven Rivlin at the Cotroceni Presidential Palace. Rivlin greeted the guard of honour in Romanian. After an official welcoming ceremony, the two presidents started one-to-one official talks, and they were scheduled to hold a joint news conference. Rivlin was on a state visit to Romania, at the invitation of Iohannis. "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 - author: Oana Ghita, editor: Florin Marin; EN - author: Corneliu-Aurelian Colceriu, editor: Cristina Zaharia)