Ukraine`s Foreign Ministry has invited Israel`s Ambassador to find ways of preventing growth of tensions over a notorious resolution passed at a recent meeting of the UN Security Council (UNSC).
”On December 26, 2016, Ukraine`s Ministry of Foreign Affairs invited Ambassador of Israel to Ukraine Eliava Belotserkovsky to discuss the further development of bilateral relations after the adoption of UN Security Council Resolution 2334 on the situation in the Middle East,” the ministry said.
The Ukrainian side expressed disappointment at an overreaction by certain Israeli officials and politicians to Ukraine`s decision to support the UNSC resolution calling on Israel to halt settlement construction in Palestinian territory, the ministry said.
Further, the Ukrainian side explained its motives to the Ambassador of Israel for the support of the resolution. Ukraine adheres to a consistent position in the settlement of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, it said.
Following the meeting, the parties agreed to do everything possible to prevent an ”increase in a degree of debates” over the resolution in Ukrainian and Israeli societies.
Press secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Mariana Betsa told Channel 112 Ukraine that the sides had agreed to focus on the preparation of several important bilateral events, in particular, the next round of negotiations in Kyiv on a draft free trade agreement. They also agreed to prepare an implementing protocol of a labor migration agreement, which has been ratified. The sides will also approve a schedule of high-level contacts for 2017.
Betsa said that the emotional discussion of the resolution would not impede traditionally friendly Ukrainian-Israeli relations, which have always been based on mutual respect and common interests.
As UNIAN reported earlier, the UN Security Council adopted a resolution which called on Israel to stop building settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including East Jerusalem.
