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Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu is in the midst of a 2.5-day official state visit to Russia. On Tuesday, Rosh Chodesh Sivan, Prime Minister Netanyahu and his wife Sara visited the special joint Foreign Ministry-Strategic Affairs Ministry interactive “Open a Door to Israel” exhibit at Moscow’s main Manege exhibition hall.

Prime Minister Netanyahu made the following remarks:

“Thank you for the welcome.

We certainly feel at home. Israel’s doors are open to Russia and Russia’s doors are open to Israel.

We are marking 25 years since the resumption of relations between us, and not only in culture and technology, but in so many other fields as well. All of these things are being shown here in this innovative exhibit. But there is also a human bridge of over one million Russian-speakers who are our bone and our flesh, but who also come as goodwill ambassadors of a deep sympathy, Israeli citizens who emigrated from the former USSR. Those who were born and raised in the country absorbed much Russian culture and music. We have just come from the moving ceremony for the unknown soldier and the tunes that were heard are tunes that we remember from our childhood; thus, there are bonds of sympathy and empathy between Israel and Russia, with a common past that has tragic chapters for both peoples, but also a very strong willingness to grasp and develop the future and move forward in creating a better future.

My wife and I and our entire delegation are very moved to be here and it is an honor to dedicate this exhibit on this occasion, 25 years since the resumption of relations.”

(YWN – Israel Desk, Jerusalem/Photo: Haim Zach, GPO)