During the high-level meetings in Jerusalem, the delegation of AUCCRO stressed the need to preserve the visa-free regime between Ukraine and Israel.
A remarkable event on the first day of the visit of the Ukrainian delegation to the Holy Land was the meeting with the President of the State of Israel Reuven Rivlin, the Institute of Religious Freedom reports.
Members of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations discussed with representatives of the Israeli Government in detail further development of the pilgrimage to both countries as well as Ukrainian-Israeli relations.
Issues of international cooperation and pilgrimage, taking into account the benefits of the existing visa-free regime, as well as counteracting the manifestations of anti-Semitism and environmental challenges, became the subject of discussion with Zeev Yelkin, Minister for Jerusalem and National Heritage Affairs, Minister for Environment of the State of Israel.
The parties exchanged statements on Israel’s solidarity with Ukraine and on the support of the State of Israel at the international level during a meeting between Ukrainian religious leaders and high-ranking officials of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In addition, participants of the meeting separately discussed issues of religious freedom for believers of different denominations and representatives of different cultures.
A meeting was also held between the AUCCRO delegation and the Governor of Gush, Etzion Shlomo Neeman and a military rabbi. They shared Israeli experience in organizing military chaplaincy in the Israeli Defense Forces and explained the unique nature of performing military service for believers.
The delegation of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations is represented by the heads and authorized representatives of the following denominations:
• Association of Jewish religious organizations of Ukraine;
• Orthodox Church of Ukraine;
• Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church;
• Ukrainian Orthodox Church (in unity with the Moscow Patriarchate);
• Roman Catholic Church;
• All-Ukrainian Union of Churches of Evangelical Christian-Baptists;
• Ukrainian Church of Evangelical Christians;
• Seventh-day Adventist Church;
• Ukrainian Free Church of the Christians of the Gospel Faith;
• Ukrainian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church;
• The German Evangelical Lutheran Church of Ukraine.
Also in the delegation of the AUCCRO included leaders of the Ukrainian Bible Society, the Institute of Religious Freedom and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the Autonomous Republic of Crimea.
As we reported, the official visit of the delegation of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations to Israel took place on the initiative of Yaakov Dov Bleich, the current chairman of the AUCCIRO and the Chief Rabbi of Kyiv and Ukraine.
The visit also began planning a meeting of Ukrainian religious leaders with the Speaker of the Knesset (Parliament) and a retreat in Jerusalem.
The first visiting meeting of the All-Ukrainian Council of Churches and Religious Organizations took place in 2009 in the State of Israel. At that time, the outcome of the meetings of the AUCCRO delegation at the highest level was the final resolution of establishing a visa-free regime between Ukraine and Israel.
Photo by Maxym Vasin
Department of Information of the UGCC on materials from www.irs.in.ua/index.php