Foreign Minister Eli Cohen Accepts Invitation to Visit Ukraine

By Hamodia Staff

YERUSHALAYIM — Foreign Minister Eli Cohen said on Thursday that he will visit Ukraine, which would make him the most senior Israeli official to do so since the war began almost a year ago.

Cohen accepted an invitation from his Ukrainian counterpart Dmytro Kuleba in a phone conversation, according to The Times of Israel

Cohen also pledged to permanently reopen Israel’s embassy in Kyiv within 60 days.

The embassy has been open intermittently due to the war situation, for two-week periods, while the staff continues to work from Poland when it’s closed.

Citing Russia’s use of Iranian weapons to kill Ukrainian civilians, Cohen called on Ukraine to join in the fight against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and to encourage Europe to declare the Iranian force a terror organization, according to the Foreign Ministry.

Also on Thursday, Cohen spoke by phone with his Egyptian counterpart Sameh Shoukry, in what the foreign ministry described as “a warm conversation.”

According to the ministry, the two agreed to expand security and economic cooperation and to meet in person in the near future.

Cohen also pushed for direct flights to Sharm El-Sheikh, an initiative he advanced as intelligence minister.

The Egyptian version of the conversation, was entirely different, noting that Shoukry stressed “the importance of working seriously to revive the peace process as soon as possible.”