Peres will attend memorial ceremony at Ukraine’ Babi Yar

President’s state visit to include signing of bilateral trade agreement.

By GREER FAY CASHMAN
Peres head 311 (photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
Peres head 311
(photo credit: Ariel Jerozolimski)
President Shimon Peres is due to leave Tuesday evening for a state visit to Ukraine.
As part of his itinerary, Peres will meet with representatives of the local Jewish community on five occasions. His first meeting with the Jewish community will be on Wednesday night at the Kiev Jewish Community Center, where he will address some 300 people.
Most of his Thursday schedule will be devoted to matters of Jewish interest.
In the morning, he will attend a memorial ceremony in Kiev’s Babi Yar ravine, where more than 100,000 people were massacred by the Nazis – among them close to 34,000 Jews, as well as gypsies, Soviet prisoners of war and native Ukrainians who were not Jewish.
Also participating in the ceremony will be Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, members of the Ukrainian government, Holocaust survivors, Righteous among the Nations and members of the local Jewish community.
This will be followed by an address to government ministers, members of parliament and molders of public opinion.
Afterward, Peres will leave for Dnepropetrovsk, the port city which is home to some 25, 000 Jews. Peres will address a large gathering at the main synagogue of Dnepropetrovsk, after which he will attend a Jewish community concert in the Opera House.
His last stop before boarding the plane to return to Israel on Friday will be at the new Jewish community campus in Dnepropetrovsk, where he will meet with 600 Jewish students.
While in Kiev, Peres will sign a bilateral trade and investment agreement with Ukraine.
During his visit, he will be given a state reception and luncheon by Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych and will meet with public figures, journalists and university students for Q&A sessions.