Putin to visit Israel at Netanyahu’s invitation
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu invited Russian President Vladimir Putin to take part in the opening of the monument to the victims of the siege of Leningrad that will be established in Jerusalem.
The invitation to visit Israel was voiced during the meeting of two leaders that took place earlier, on February 27 in Moscow. "In the near future, in Jerusalem, we will establish a monument dedicated to the Victims of the siege of Leningrad and we will be happy to see you, Mr. President, at the opening of this monument,” Netanyahu said. "Thank you, I will come,” Putin replied.
The monument will be erected in the center of Jerusalem, not far from the residence of the Israeli President. The exact place is still under discussion and is awaiting approval from the Mayor of Jerusalem, Moshe Lion.
Former Deputy of the Knesset Leonid Litinetsky was the first one to propose to build this monument. The funds will be allocated by the Euro-Asian Jewish Congress (EAJC), which represents dozens of Jewish communities of Eastern Europe and Asia.
The project was first presented to the leaders of both countries in January 2017 at the event devoted to International Day in memory of the victims of the Holocaust in Moscow. The monument will open on May 2019.
Earlier, during talks in Moscow, both Netanyahu and Putin also agreed to create a joint group to address the withdrawal of foreign troops from Syria.