President Iohannis scheduled to meet Israeli counterpart on visit to Israel

Romania's President Klaus Iohannis is starting today a visit to Israel, and he is scheduled to meet his Israeli counterpart Reuven Rivlin. 

His visit ends on Thursday, and it is occasioned by the Fifth World Holocaust Forum that marks 75 years since the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenaust concentration camp called "Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Antisemitism." 

On Wednesday, Iohannis meets the leader of Israel's Blue & White alliance of Israel, Binyamin 'Benny' Gantz, and then attends a state dinner to be extended by the President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, in honour of the heads of delegations attending the forum. 

The Fifth World Holocaust Forum, organised by the World Holocaust Forum Foundation, in co-operation with the Holocaust Remembrance Center - Yad Vashem, is hosted by Jerusalem on Thursday under the auspices of Israeli President Reuven Rivlin, and will focus on strengthening the global commitment to the Holocaust remembrance and the global fight against anti-Semitism and racism. 

According to the Romanian Presidential Administration, the participation of President Klaus Iohannis in this international forum is part of a series of actions taken by Romania to strengthen Holocaust education, preserving the memory of the Holocaust, combating anti-Semitism, racism, xenophobia, and promoting the European values of tolerance as well as respect for fundamental rights and freedoms. 

Over 40 leaders from all over the world will attend this event. Among them, there are President of the European Council Charles Michel; President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, and President of the European Parliament David Sassoli. 

Addressing the event will be Israeli President Reuven Rivlin; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu; French President Emmanuel Macron; Charles, Prince of Wales; Russian President Vladimir Putin, and German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier. Also speaking will be President of the Yad Vashem Council Rabbi Israel Meir Lau, himself a Holocaust survivor; Chairman of the World Holocaust Foundation Moshe Kantor, and Chairman of the Yad Vashem Directorate of The Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority. 

The event will continue with a ceremony honouring the victims of the Holocaust. Holocaust survivor Rose Moskowitz of the United States, and chair of the Centre Organisations of Holocaust Survivors in Israel Colette Avital, will light a torch in the memory of the victims, after which the heads of delegations will lay wreaths at the Warsaw Ghetto Riot Uprising memorial at Yad Vashem. The ceremony will conclude with the national anthem of Israel - Hatikvah.