President Iohannis to meet Blue & White alliance leader Gantz on Israel visit

Romania's President Klaus Iohannis continues his visit to Israel on Wednesday, and he is scheduled to meet leader of Israel's Blue & White alliance Binyamin 'Benny' Gantz. 

Also Wednesday, Iohannis attends a state dinner to be extended by the President of Israel, Reuven Rivlin, in honour of the heads of delegations attending the Fifth World Holocaust Forum. 

Iohannis started his visit to Israel on Tuesday to participate in the Fifth World Holocaust Forum and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp - "Remembering the Holocaust, Fighting Antisemitism." 

On the sidelines of the forum, Iohannis met his Israeli counterpart Reuven Rivlin, whom he invited to pay a visit to Romania this year. Rivlin accepted the invitation. 

Discussions between the two officials concerned the bilateral relations between the two countries, Romania's efforts to combat anti-Semitism, xenophobia and intolerance, as well as issues of shared interest on the regional and international agenda, along with the latest developments in the Middle East. 

On Thursday, President Iohannis will participate, along with more than 40 leaders from around the world, in the Fifth World Holocaust Forum. The event, 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 it will focus on strengthening the global commitment to the Holocaust remembrance and the global fight against anti-Semitism and racism. 

"My visit to the State of Israel and participation in the fifth edition of the World Holocaust Forum 2020 gives me the opportunity to underline that Romania remains committed to continuing its constant support for the preservation of the Holocaust remembrance, the fight against anti-Semitism, the prevention of discrimination and any other form. Romania has endeavoured to become a regional model for taking responsibility for the Holocaust and combating anti-Semitism, " Iohannis wrote on Tuesday in the Guest Book at the Israeli Presidency.